Afrane Pious, Alhassan Robert Kaba, Afetor Maxwell, Alhassan Martin Adjuik, Amuna Paul, Owusu-Agyei Seth
Fred Newton Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Ghana.
Institute of Health Research, Centre for Health Policy and Implementation Research, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana.
PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024 Jun 27;4(6):e0003238. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003238. eCollection 2024.
Road traffic accidents account for 1.35 million deaths and up to 50 million injuries each year globally, mostly among persons aged 5-29 years. The existing road safety measures in Ghana are grossly inadequate, leading to occurrence of unprecedented Road Traffic Accidents (RTA). This study sought to document the epidemiological indices and determine the public health implications of Road Traffic Accidents and the socio-economic effect on lives of RTA victims in Ho and Hohoe Municipalities of the Volta Region in Ghana. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 198 road traffic accident victims who reported to three health facilities in the Volta Region of Ghana. The victims were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Principal component analysis was done to categorize RTA victims into various economic status. The results show that out of the 198 road traffic accident victims who were interviewed, 50% were breadwinners of their families. Approximately 40% of the accident cases happened between 12 mid-day and 6 o'clock in the evening. Among the RTA cases recorded, 35% involved four-wheeler vehicles. Majority (88%) of those with injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents sustained a head injury; 70% of the respondents who sustained a disability from RTA were unable to perform activity of daily living (i.e. bathing, oral care, and toileting). The average cost of care on RTA victims from formal and informal health care facilities, at the time of this study, was GHC 902 (US$150) and GHC 724 (US$120) respectively. In conclusion, the increase in usage of motorcycles as a means of transport has contributed significantly to the incidence of RTAs in the Ho and Hohoe municipalities posing a public health concern. Majority of RTAs resulted in head injuries and other disabilities which affected their ability to perform activities of daily living and posed significant economic cost to victims and their families who are mostly already in lower wealth quintiles.
全球范围内，道路交通事故每年导致135万人死亡，多达5000万人受伤，其中大多数是5至29岁的人群。加纳现有的道路安全措施严重不足，导致前所未有的道路交通事故（RTA）频发。本研究旨在记录流行病学指标，确定道路交通事故对公共卫生的影响以及对加纳沃尔特地区霍市和霍霍埃市道路交通事故受害者生活的社会经济影响。对向加纳沃尔特地区三家医疗机构报告的198名道路交通事故受害者进行了横断面研究。使用结构化问卷对受害者进行访谈。通过主成分分析将道路交通事故受害者分类为不同的经济状况。结果显示，在接受访谈的198名道路交通事故受害者中，50%是其家庭的主要经济支柱。约40%的事故发生在中午12点至晚上6点之间。在记录的道路交通事故案例中，35%涉及四轮车辆。摩托车事故受伤者中，大多数（88%）头部受伤；因道路交通事故致残的受访者中，70%无法进行日常生活活动（如洗澡、口腔护理和如厕）。在本研究开展时，正规和非正规医疗机构对道路交通事故受害者的平均护理费用分别为902加纳塞地（150美元）和724加纳塞地（120美元）。总之，作为一种交通方式，摩托车使用量的增加显著促成了霍市和霍霍埃市道路交通事故的发生率，构成了公共卫生问题。大多数道路交通事故导致头部受伤和其他残疾，影响了他们进行日常生活活动的能力，并给大多处于较低财富五分位数的受害者及其家庭带来了巨大的经济成本。
