News and notes
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
Robert Sanders, child passenger safety advocate, died in January after a long illness. Dr Sanders spent two years persuading the Tennessee legislature to pass child-restraint legislation in 1977, the first of its kind in the US. After his success in his own state, he lobbied for similar legislation elsewhere.
BANGLADESH HEALTH AND INJURY SURVEY (BHIS)
The Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey (BHIS), conducted in 2003, was published in January 2005. The survey is the first and most comprehensive effort made to gather accurate data on the burden of injury throughout Bangladesh. It is the largest injury survey ever conducted at the community level in a developing country. Over 170 000 households were included representing more than 800 000 infants, children and adults. The survey revealed a previously unrecognised epidemic of child injury and calls for a new emphasis on child health and survival as 83 children die as a result of injury every day in Bangladesh, a country of 140 million people. The survey also showed that drowning is the overwhelming danger in early childhood accounting for 26% of deaths among children aged 1 to 4 years. In addition to the quantitative survey that provides hard data documenting the extent of the problem, the survey also conducted a qualitative study to capture the cultural and behavioural factors related to the perception of risk, prevention and practices relating to injuries. Taken together they provide a road map for future action designed to promote an agenda of safety for children of all ages in Bangladesh. The survey is a product of collaboration between the Institute of Mother and Child Health (ICMH), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOH&FW), UNICEF Bangladesh and the Alliance for Safe Children (TASC). The Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey (BHIS) Report on Children (a 21Mb file) is available at http://tinyurl.com/duxaz.
TRAUMA CENTER CARE LOWERS RISK OF DEATH
In January, …
