Appropriate care for injured people can reduce mortality and long-term disability. Care for victims of injury is an issue upon which member states frequently turn to the World Health Organization (WHO) for support and guidance, which constitutes an important part of a comprehensive approach to injury prevention.

For the past few years the WHO has collaborated with a group of trauma and emergency care specialists in order to address trauma and emergency care issues. The main objective has been to provide a contribution to improved trauma and emergency care through normative guidance at a global level that is suited to the needs of low- and middle-income countries, and to support implementation of this guidance at country level.

The work of the WHO and partners worldwide has led to the development of guidance documents entitled Guidelines for essential trauma care¹ and Prehospital trauma care systems. …