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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Rafael Consunji, MD MPH, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., W1015, Baltimore, MD 21205, 301-770-2390, rconsunj@jhsph.edu and Adnan A. Hyder, MD, MPH, PhD, Department of International Health, School of Hygiene & Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe Street, E-8132, Baltimore, MD 21205.
INTRODUCTION: Injuries cause 10 % of the mortality and 15 % of the disability burden worldwide. There is a paucity of data on injuries in the developing world, where two-thirds of all injury deaths occur. This is the first published report characterizing the burden of injuries in the Philippines, a developing country in Southeast Asia. OBJECTIVES: To define the burden of injuries in the Philippines and identify groups at highest risk for injuries in order to inform national health research policy. METHODS: A systematic review of 30 years of published literature and unpublished data on injuries in the Philippines. RESULTS: Injury fatality rates have increased by 26 % from 1965 to 1995 and one in 11 deaths are due to injuries. The proportion of all deaths attributable to motor vehicle collisions (MVC) has increased 370 % and 800 % for homicide from 1965 to 1995. Intentional injuries account for 43 % of all injury deaths and MVC’s for 15%. For 15-44 year old males, injuries account for 42 % of all deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Injury deaths are a growing public health problem in the Philippines. Intentional injuries and MVC’s account for a majority of fatalities and trauma admissions. The lack of research on this issue, together with a lack of health policy responses calls for urgent action. Priority research into risk factors and interventions for injury prevention is important for the Philippines.
Learning Objectives: "At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.