Disease Control Priorities, Volume 7: Injury Prevention and Environmental Health

Abstract

The world battles a significant disease burden due to accidents and environmental factors. Road traffic injuries, especially in low- and middle-income countries, cause over 1.2 million premature deaths annually. The WHO’s Global Status Report 2015 reveals higher death rates in low-income nations. This poses a challenge to socioeconomic growth. To rectify this situation, a decade for road safety, a UN initiative, was started in 2010, and recently, the Sustainable Development Goals aimed to halve global road traffic deaths and injuries by 2020. However, implementation of preventive measures has been slow. Environmental factors also contribute to a large mortality rate, with outdoor and indoor air pollution causing over 5 million deaths per year. Data gaps, limited surveillance, and inadequate monitoring further hinder progress. Advocacy and policy shifts are required to address these issues effectively.