Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 Oct;466(10):2457-64.
doi: 10.1007/s11999-008-0439-5. Epub 2008 Aug 14.

Update on road traffic crashes: progress in the Middle East

Wahid Al-Kharusi  1
Affiliations

Update on road traffic crashes: progress in the Middle East

Wahid Al-Kharusi. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2008 Oct.

Abstract

Road traffic injuries comprise the major share of all injuries globally. Traffic injuries kill 1.2 million people annually and injure 40 times as many, leaving a subsequent number totally disabled. Globally we spend approximately US $500 billion annually. The Middle East encompasses West Asia and North Africa and is very diverse economically, culturally and socially. Prevention and management of road traffic crashes and injuries is difficult. Comparative data are not readily available and therefore developing unified policies is a mammoth task. Implementation of best practices is not uniformly advocated due to socioeconomic and cultural differences. Enforcement of endorsed legislation on road traffic safety is not uniform in the region. Professional staff to combat this pandemic are scarce and it is important that capacity building, knowledge sharing, and increased political will becomes a priority in the region. This paper discusses the problems encountered in the prevention and management of road traffic injuries from the site of injury to rehabilitation and social reintegration. The role of Oman and that of the Bone and Joint Decade in the United Nations on Global Road Safety and its update is highlighted.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
We have not a moment to lose. The cost of waiting is demonstrated by this slide—the difference between the top and bottom lines reflects not only a continuing gap in prevention action, but represents an equally unacceptable gap in our conscience, in our sense of social and moral responsibility, and our sense of justice.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The number of road traffic crashes recorded in some Arab countries in 2004 is shown.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The number of road traffic deaths recorded in some Arab countries in 2004 is shown.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Browner B. Lecture:Road Traffic Injury – the Neglected Global Epidemic. BJD World Network Conference and Patient Advocacy Seminar. Durban, South Africa; 2006.
    1. Commission for Global Road Safety Web site. Make Roads Safe: A New Priority for Sustainable Development. 2007. Available at: http://www.makeroadssafe.org/documents/make_roads_safe_low_res.pdf.
    1. Global Road Safety Web site. Available at: http://www.globalroadsafety.org/world_response/global_resolutions/index.....
    1. Ministry of Health Web site. Available at: www.moh.gov.om.
    1. Murray CJ, Lopez AD. The Global Burden of Disease: A Comprehensive Assessment of Mortality and Disability from Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors in 1990 and Projected to 2020. Boston, MA: Harvard University, School of Public Health; 1996.

MeSH terms