Motor traffic injuries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Introduction: Motor traffic injuries are recognized as a major public health problem in developing countries. MTIs continue to cause morbidity, mortality and disability in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA).

Objectives: To describe the magnitude of MTI’s in SSA and to find the magnitude of morbidity and mortality caused by MTI’s.

Methodology: The World Health Organization (WHO), PUBMED and EMBASE databases were used to identify documents and articles on MTIs in SSA and its effects. The literature review was supplemented by document review and interviews with a key informant in one region of Tanzania to determine the magnitude of morbidity and mortality associated with MTI’s in Tanzania.

Results: The mortality rate due to MTI’s in Lower and Middle Income Countries(LMIC’s) including SSA is about 20 per 100,000 population while in High Income Countries(HIC’s) it is about 10.3 per 100,000 population. MTI’s also represent the ninth leading cause of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY’s) lost and are forecasted by WHO to be the third leading cause of DALY’s lost by 2020. Total number of reported accidents in Kilimanjaro region in 2008 was 906 while in 2009 it was 1,125 accounting for an increase of 24%. The total mortality reported in 2008 was 147 and 202 in 2009 with an increase of 37%. The total morbidity was 622 in 2008 and 933 in 2009 accounting for a 50% increase.

Discussion: The high mortality rate in SSA of about 20 per 100,000 population is contributed mainly by human factors with the major being reckless driving and negligence of drivers, pedestrians and passengers. Morbidity and mortality due to MTI’s is increasing gradually over time as seen from the Kilimanjaro documents. The burden of MTI morbidity and mortality is predicted to rise by 80% in SSA and fall by 30% in HIC’s by 2020.

Conclusion & recommendations: MTI is still a public health problem in LMIC’s. Measures to improve human factors in causing MTA are urgently required in order to reverse the trend. I hereby conclude with the motto by the National Road Safety Council of Tanzania which says “Road safety is NO ACCIDENT” and that “Road safety is for sharing”.

Corresponding author: Hipolite T.T. Address: P.O BOX 10398 ARUSHA, Telephone number: +255 753 642 882, E-mail: hipolitethomas@yahoo.com