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environment , therefore , it should not be
regarded as accident , and injury is predictable
, it is therefore preventable.
The WHO estimation shows that
everyday around the world almost 16000 people
die from injuries , and injury accounted for
9 per cent of the world's deaths in 2000 and
12 per cent of the world's burden of disease
. The global burden of disease due to road traffic
injuries is expected to move from the 9th position
in 1990 to the 3rd position in 2020 .
Violence is also considered
a global public health problem , accounting
for 1.6 million deaths every year , one - fifth
of them belonging to the South - East Asia .
The public health approach uses basic knowledge
about violence and explores the causes of violence
, ways to prevent it and looks at settings where
intervention may be effective . WHO , therefore
advocates a public health approach to violence
prevention .
SOME FACTS ON VIOLENCE
AND HEALTH IN SOUTH - EAST ASIA
In 2000 , violence accounted
for an estimated 317000 deaths in South East
Asia . These deaths are almost equal to the
number of estimated deaths due to HIV /AIDS
in the Region . These violent deaths account
for more than six times that of malaria and
half the number of deaths due to Tuberculosis
.
Self - directed violence ( Suicide ) is the
fifth leading cause of death among youth aged
15 to 29 years in South - East Asia - which
is approximately half the number of deaths caused
by HIV/AIDS in the Region.
Violence by intimate partners , mainly involving
the abuse of women by men , is a hidden form
of violence prevalent in South - East Asia .
Many people take alcohol and drugs in order
to cope with stress . This leads to a variety
of mental and physical health disorders and
increasing incidence of violence and suicide
.
About 4 - 6 % of elderly people across the world
face abuse . The elderly in South - East Asia
experience many kinds of abuse - psychological
abuse , neglect and restrictions of all kinds
, including restrictions to seeking health care
.
( Source : World Health Organization : Violence
Prevention in South - East Asia - A Challenge
for Public Health , New Delhi , WHO Regional
Office for South East Asia , 2003) .
COUNTRY
SITUATION
According to the official statistics , there
were about 4000 fatalities only from Road Traffic
accident in 2000 . An estimate shows that in
2000 there were 3970 no. of accidents causing
4046 no. of fatalities estimating 2270 no of
injuries and 162.9 deaths per 10000 vehicle.
(source: Bangladesh Police HQ)
Between 70 - 80 % of RTAs (
Road Traffic Accidents ) occur on highways and
rural roads . Up to 70% of road accidents are
pedestrian alone . Trucks and buses are major
contributor to road traffic accident fatalities.
(source: Director General of Health Services
, Ministry of Health)
From a hospital based study
, it has been found that injury patients comprised
more than one fifth of all admissions and about
half ( 49.8 % ) of all surgical beds of a district
hospital.
(source: Director General of Health Services
, Ministry of Health)
At the first referral level
graduate physicians are providing trauma care
. In every teaching hospital , there is a full
fledged department of Orthopaedic surgery ,
where trauma patients are managed by trained
physicians . At national level , there is a
National Institute for Traumatology and Rehabilitation
providing specialized services to trauma victims
. Besides government health facilities a number
of NGO and private clinics are also providing
trauma care services to injury victims .
Besides all these facilities , five trauma centers
have been established by the side of some high
risk national highways to provide emergency
services to trauma victims.
(source: Director General of Health Services
, Ministry of Health)
Violence against Women
( VAW ) in Bangladesh at a glance:
Domestic violence overrides
all other kinds of violence against women in
Bangladesh. Wife abuse by husband is the most
common type of domestic violence.
The estimates of all the forms of violence (
i.e physical , sexual violence and psychological
) against wives are very high both in urban
and rural area with greater percentage of women
urban area reporting physical and emotional
violence.
(Source: A multi country study on Women's
Health and Domestic Violence against Women in
Bangladesh conducted by ICDDR.B & WHO, 2002)
In cases of gender based violence
- sexual abuse , rape , acid burns , trafficking
, abandonment of women , threatening women ,
psychological violations are the key factors
. A study of rape in an urban and a rural area
of Bangladesh reported that 84 percent of the
victims suffered severe injuries , unconsciousness
, mental illness or even death.
CURRENT WHO SUPPORT
World Health Organization ( WHO ) in pursuance
of its global role of technical leadership in
health has been providing technical assistance
to Bangladesh , ever since its birth as a sovereign
nation in 1971 .
WHO operates financially through a biennial
cycle . In the last biennium 2002 - 2003 , a
gender strategy was formulated and disseminated
and WHO assisted the GoB in the establishment
of Gender Issue Cell in DGHS, DGFP ( Directorate
General of Family Planning ) and DNS.
WHO conducted some studies on Violence against
Women (VAW ) in Bangladesh in the last biennium
which had a good contribution in this area.
WHO in Bangladesh also played a vital role in
the dissemination of " World Report on
Violence and Health '' to focus this issue .
WHO assisted the Rehabilitation Institute and
Hospital for the Disabled (RIHD ) in training
of doctors , Health assistants and disabled
person on Community Based Rehabilitation .
In the biennium 2002 - 2003 , WHO also took
initiative to focus new , emerging health issues.
In continuation to that , Injury and Violence
Prevention has got an individual place in the
programmes of the present biennium 2004 - 2005.
This response will include surveillance systems
and research to understand better the magnitude
of the burden and causes and prevention of violence
and injuries , awareness creation , capacity
building etc .
This page provides links to
descriptions of activities, reports, news and
events, as well as contacts and cooperating
partners in the various WHO programmes and offices
working on this topic. Also shown are links
to related web sites and topics.
UPCOMING
EVENT
World Health day 7 April 2004
: Theme " Road Safety is no Accident "
Multisectoral Initiatives have
been taken to observe the WHD 2004 in Bangladesh.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare ,
Ministry of Communication , Ministry of Information
, Bangladesh Police and others in collaboration
with WHO have taken initiatives for the fruitful
celebration of the World Health Day on 7 April
2004.
Press Briefing , Essay Competition , Painting
Competition , Television / Radio Discussion
, Newspaper Coverage , Road Island Decoration
, Health Education / BCC Exhibition , Debates
in Television on Road Safety, Release of a national
postal stamp on Road Safety , activities to
raise awareness on Road Safety have been planned
to observe the World Health Day 2004.
KEY DOCUMENTS
Newsletter
Road
Safety Is No Accident [PDF format]
RELATED LINKS
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