The burden of unintentional injuries among the under‐five population in South Asia
- 19 February 2008
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Wiley in Acta Paediatrica
- Vol. 97 (3), 267-275
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.00670.x
Abstract
Childhood injuries are a growing global concern, one that falls disproportionately on developing countries where public health systems are least prepared to address this problem. This study assesses the impact of childhood injuries in the developing region of South Asia in order to set forth an agenda for improving child health in that region. A systematic review was conducted for literature with quantitative data on unintentional injuries in children 0-4 years of age published between 1980 and 2007. The information was collated to estimate the mean, weighted mean and mortality rate for each type of injury. The rates were then applied to the 2000 UN projected population to estimate the number of childhood deaths due to unintentional injuries. Unintentional injuries are estimated to cause 389,000 annual child deaths in South Asia. This premature mortality results in the annual loss of 74 healthy life years (HeaLYs) per 1000 population. The current burden of childhood injuries in South Asia is unacceptably high and calls for efforts from all sectors involved in research, policy and funding to not only assess the impact of childhood injuries but to strengthen the health systems to stem this preventable loss of healthy life.Keywords
This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit:
- Death from drowning: defining a new challenge for child survival in BangladeshInjury Control and Safety Promotion, 2003
- Causes of childhood deaths in Bangladesh: an updateActa Paediatrica, 2001
- Epidemiology of injury: Results from injury registration at a district level hospital in Bangladesh – implications for prevention in low-income countriesInjury Control and Safety Promotion, 2001
- The global burden of injuriesAmerican Journal of Public Health, 2000
- Health Impact of Injuries: A Population-Based Epidemiological Investigation in a Local Community of BangladeshJournal of Safety Research, 1999
- Health Programs, Maternal Education, and Differential Child Mortality in Matlab, BangladeshPopulation and Development Review, 1995
- Acute Poisoning: A Major Health Concern in Sri LankaAsia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 1991
- Reduced Mortality among Children in Southern India Receiving a Small Weekly Dose of Vitamin AThe New England Journal of Medicine, 1990
- The prevention of burning injuryClinical Dermatology and Surgery, 1986