Open AccessRoad traffic accidents in Ghana: contributing factors and economic consequences
Author(s) -
Paa Kwesi Blankson,
Margaret Lartey
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
ghana medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.294
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 2616-163X
pISSN - 0016-9560
DOI - 10.4314/gmj.v54i3.1
Subject(s) - medicine , road traffic , developing country , environmental health , population , injury prevention , occupational safety and health , poison control , socioeconomics , suicide prevention , public health , distress , economic growth , transport engineering , engineering , clinical psychology , nursing , pathology , sociology , economics
The impact of road traffic injuries could be enormous, affecting societies and individuals in different facets. Despite the prominence of Covid-19 disease in the current public health space, road crashes remain an important contributor to mortality. It is estimated that some 1.4 million people die from road crashes globally, with most of these being the youth, and people from developing countries.1 In Ghana, 72 persons out of every 100 000 population, suffered from grievous bodily injury, and close to 8 of the same population died from Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) over the past decade. More than 60% of road traffic fatalities occured in children and young persons under 35 years of age.2 Aside the mortality and morbidity associatedwith the road crashes, Ghanaian households spend an average of US$ 1687.65 in direct and indirect cost on severe injuries associated with road crashes, while many suffer considerable degrees of psychological distress.