The top killer of Bangladeshis aged 15 to 29 can only be effectively confronted with a comprehensive action plan, participants heard Tuesday at a workshop on road safety.
Participants urgently called for the formation of the first-ever comprehensive health sector action plan to reduce road accidents in Bangladesh, which are estimated to cause GDP losses of 1.6% per year.
The action plan's aim of reducing post-crash deaths and disabilities by 50% is in line with the UNDP's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). SDG target 3.6 is to “halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents” by 2020.
Pedestrians were especially vulnerable and account for 45% of the victims of road accidents in the country, they said, on the first day of a two-day workshop on “Finalisation of the Health Sector Action Plan on Road Safety.”
Organised by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the workshop, held at a city hotel, was attended by representatives of the WHO, DGHS, public hospitals, public medical colleges, private hospitals, trauma centres, various NGOs and by divisional directors, civil surgeons and upazila health and family planning officers.
Presenting the draft action plan, AKM Fazlur Rahman, executive director of the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (Ciprb), said 33% of beds in primary and secondary level hospitals in Bangladesh were occupied by injury-related patients. He said more than 19% of injury patients had been hurt in road accidents.
Based on data from three categories of government hospitals, he said in 2014 alone, some 175,865 people injured in road crashes were admitted to 484 hospitals across the country. Some 4,440 patients succumbed to their injuries.
The health sector action plan aims to reduce post-crash deaths and disabilities by 50% by 2020.
Dr Patanjali Dev Nayar, Southeast Asia regional adviser for disability, injury prevention and rehabilitation at the WHO, said road accident injury was the top cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds.
Nayar said 90% of road traffic deaths occur in low and middle-income countries. The health system is a primary stakeholder in road safety.
“Not all victims die in road accidents. Survivors may need long term health care and rehabilitation which is expensive. The costs to the economy and development, social costs, the severe burden on patients' families and poverty all contribute to the catastrophic costs of care,” he said.
Bangladesh currently has no emergency room injury surveillance system in place and no data on how many people are left permanently disabled due to road crashes, he added. “Moreover, there is no emergency access telephone number to call in the event of an accident.”
The WHO expert suggested that Bangladesh should improve post-crash care and road safety data.
“No single ministry or agency has all the solutions. Efforts must be multi-sectoral, involve the whole of society, encourage the vital engagement of civil society organisations at all levels and have effective coordination,” Nayar said.
The Barisal civil surgeon agreed that there was a shortage of manpower but said existing manpower could be used in a more efficient way to ensure better outcomes.
He said volunteer groups should be formed to ensure first-aid for crash victims. “The Boy Scouts, Girls Guides and other volunteer groups can be trained in first-aid for crash victims. An integrated approach should be adopted to face the challenge.”
The Chandpur civil surgeon said hospital infrastructure, facilities, equipment and logistics should be improved to better treat road accident victims.
