50,000 die from injuries a year

It is not only a public health problem, but also accounts for an enormous socio-economic burden. Each year, the world loses 500 billion dollars as a result of only road and traffic accidents of which developing countries share 100 billion dollar.

The loss in the developing countries from road accidents is double the amount these countries receive as annual aid. In Bangladesh, the annual loss is Tk 4,500 crore.

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The young children are more vulnerable to drowning, burn and fall, the adolescents and youths are becoming the victims of transport accidents, violence and suicides.

In Bangladesh, 83 children die due to injuries everyday -- 40 of them from drowning. Violence and suicides are major causes of death among young women. This number is higher than pregnancy-related deaths.

A strong voice was raised for injury prevention by the participants of the 2nd Asian Regional Conference on 'Safe communities' and 1st Bangladesh Conference on 'Injury prevention' held in Dhaka from February 15 to 17.

The conference was organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Institute of Child and Mother Health (ICMH), BUET, UNICEF, WHO and The Alliance for Safe Children (TASC) of USA.

A total of 403 participants from home and abroad attended the conference.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain told the participants that the government has already focussed on the injury issue as a national health priority and established an Accident Research Centre at BUET.

Moreover, injury has been included in the new Health Sector Programme.

UNICEF Representative Morten Giersing in his keynote speech emphasised the importance of creating a multi-sectoral platform and formulate a national plan of action to combat this emerging issue.

Pete Peterson, former US ambassador in Vietnam and the founder president of TASC, said that Bangladesh should take the leadership in developing programme interventions that would not only ensure safer Bangladesh but also help other developing countries to follow the model.