Because of lack of locally done evidence-based research on road traffic injury prevention and mitigation, Zambia employs strategies modeled on research and experience from the north or western world in preventing and mitigating road traffic injuries. These interventions do not often fit the indigenous situation as they tend to rely on advanced technology and practices that are alien to countries in the south such as Zambia. Road traffic accidents(RTAs) were the leading cause of morbidity and mortality due to all accidents at Lusaka's University Teaching Hospital (UTH) between 1999 and 2002. Of admissions due to all accidents 17.2 per cent were due to RTAs, with the death toll from RTAs standing at 30.4 per cent of all accidents reported at UTH during the period understudy. During the same period 7099 or 1.85 per cent of the total hospital admissions and 466 or 0.92 per cent of hospital deaths due to all causes were attributable to RTAs underscoring the magnitude of the RTA burden. It is certain that the cost associated with preventing and mitigating RTAs and attendant social and mental trauma are considerably huge. A clear case can be made for iCommissioning of local research and promulgating of appropriate, homegrown solutions should be done to inform policy and evaluateurrent interventions and best practice seeing that experiences from the north may not work in the south for a myriad of reasons including lack of resources and entrenched traditions (A). For the covering abstract of the conference see E217780.
Samenvatting