Kpe Petit Amenuveve, Otoo Desmond Dzidzornu, Owusu Richmond, Bawua Serwaa Akoto
Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Legon, Ghana.
Department of Biological, Environmental, and Occupational Health, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Legon, Ghana.
Heliyon. 2024 Aug 13;10(16):e36179. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36179. eCollection 2024 Aug 30.
Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are a prominent contributor to both mortality and morbidity, particularly affecting individuals aged 5-29 years. Road traffic Injuries impose substantial physical and economic burden on individuals, households, and governments, particularly in African nations. Thus, our study focuses on assessing the economic cost of road traffic accidents within the context of St. Joseph Hospital, Koforidua. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Emergency Unit of the St. Joseph Hospital with a sample size of 291 patients. A patient perspective was used in costing the management of RTAs. Data was descriptively analyzed with Microsoft Excel with means and standard deviations estimated for direct, indirect, and intangible costs to the patient. Total direct and indirect cost of road traffic accidents were approximately GHS1,973,801.28 (US$164,483.44) and GHS520,309.46 (US$43,359.12) respectively which represents 79.1 % and 20.9 % of the total cost. The annual average economic cost for all cases was GHS8,570.83 (US$714.24). Intangible costs were also found to be high, with 54.2 % patients rating their RTA burden to be between mild to moderate, 10.8 % as moderate to severe and 1.4 % as severe. RTA cost burden is huge for all households. Uninsured patients bear significantly higher costs than insured patients. Intangible costs were also high, prompting the need to provide psychological care to RTA victims and their families. Concerted efforts should be directed at strict enforcement, training, improvement of road infrastructure and legislation to reduce or curb road traffic accidents in LMICs.
道路交通事故是导致死亡率和发病率上升的一个重要因素，尤其对5至29岁的人群影响较大。道路交通事故给个人、家庭和政府带来了巨大的身体和经济负担，在非洲国家尤为如此。因此，我们的研究聚焦于评估科福里杜瓦圣约瑟夫医院背景下道路交通事故的经济成本。在圣约瑟夫医院急诊科进行了一项横断面调查，样本量为291名患者。从患者角度对道路交通事故的管理成本进行了估算。使用微软Excel对数据进行描述性分析，估算了患者的直接、间接和无形成本的均值和标准差。道路交通事故的直接和间接总成本分别约为1,973,801.28加纳塞地（164,483.44美元）和520,309.46加纳塞地（43,359.12美元），分别占总成本的79.1%和20.9%。所有病例的年平均经济成本为8,570.83加纳塞地（714.24美元）。还发现无形成本较高，54.2%的患者将其道路交通事故负担评为轻度至中度，10.8%为中度至重度，1.4%为重度。道路交通事故对所有家庭的成本负担都很大。未参保患者承担的成本明显高于参保患者。无形成本也很高，这促使有必要为道路交通事故受害者及其家人提供心理护理。应齐心协力严格执法、开展培训、改善道路基础设施并完善立法，以减少或遏制低收入和中等收入国家的道路交通事故。
