Traumatismos causados por el tránsito en países en desarrollo: agenda de investigación y de acción

Cheng-Min Huang; Jeffrey C. Lunnen; J. Jaime Miranda; Adnan A. Hyder

doi:10.17843/rpmesp.2010.272.1471

Authors

Cheng-Min Huang International Injury Research Unit, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Baltimore, MD, USA. Médico, Magíster en Ciencias de la Salud.
Jeffrey C. Lunnen International Injury Research Unit, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Baltimore, MD, USA. Candidato a Magíster en Estudios de la Mujer.
J. Jaime Miranda Programa de Investigación en Accidentes de Tránsito, Salud Sin Límites Perú. Lima, Perú. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. Lima, Perú. Médico, Magíster y Doctor en Epidemiología.
Adnan A. Hyder International Injury Research Unit, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Baltimore, MD, USA. Médico Magíster y Doctor en Salud Pública.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17843/rpmesp.2010.272.1471

Keywords:

Accidents, traffic, Developing countries, Public health

Abstract

Road traffic injury (RTI) is the leading cause of death in persons aged 10-24 worldwide and accounts for about 15% of all male deaths. The burden of RTI is unevenly distributed amongst countries with over eighty-fold differences between the highest and lowest death rates. Thus the unequal risk of RTI occurring in the developing world, due to many reasons, including but not limited to rapid motorization and poor infrastructure, is a major global challenge. This editorial highlights a number of key issues that must inform programs designed to prevent RTI in the developing world, where the epidemic is all the more insidious. firstly, road safety is a development issue; secondly, road traffic injury is a major health issue; thirdly, road traffic injuries can be prevented by the implementation of scientific measures; fourthly, pre-hospital and hospital emergency care is needed; and fifthly, research on RTI is neglected in low-income and middle-income countries. The repercussion of such progress to Peru is also discussed.