Epidemiology of transport-related injuries in Ghana

To better elucidate the incidence, characteristics, and consequences of tra nsport-related injuries in a less developed country in Africa, we undertook an epidemiologic survey in Ghana. A total of 21 105 persons were surveyed, in both an urban area (Kumasi, n = 11 663) and a rural area (Brong-Ahafo, it = 9442). In the preceding year, a total of 656 injuries were reported in the urban area and 928 injuries reported in the rural area. Transport-rela ted mechanisms accounted for 16% of all injuries in the urban and 10% of al l injuries in the rural area. The annual incidence of transport-related inj uries was almost identical in the two settings, 997/100 000 persons in the urban area and 941/100 000 in the rural area. In both settings, transport-r elated injuries were more severe than other types of injuries in terms of m ortality, length of disability, and economic consequences. In the urban are a, the most common transport-related mechanisms were either to passengers i nvolved in crashes of mini-buses or taxis (29%) or to pedestrians struck by these vehicles (21%). In the rural area, the most common transport-related mechanisms were bicycle crashes. The second most common rural mechanisms w ere motor vehicle crashes, which were the most severe and which involved co mmercial (83%) rather than private vehicles. Prevention strategies need to be different from those in developed countries and should target commercial drivers more than private road users. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All r ights reserved.