Road traffic accidents: a major public health problem in Nigeria

TLDR: In this paper, the importance of the involvement of doctors, especially those in the field of public health, in the prevention of road traffic accidents using the methodology which has been successfully employed in the control of communicable diseases is stressed.

Abstract: Analysis of data on road traffic accidents (RTAs) in Nigeria over an eight-year period showed a rising trend. To highlight the importance of RTAs in the country, the number of deaths from RTAs (1967-1974) and from major communicable diseases was reviewed. It was found that there were annually more deaths from RTAs than even the cholera epidemic of 1971. International comparison of the RTA situation in Nigeria with that of industrialized countries (United Kingdom, Sweden and Australia) and developing countries (Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya) showed that Nigeria had by far worse mortality and morbidity rates. The importance of the involvement of doctors, especially those in the field of public health, in the prevention of RTA using the methodology which has been successfully employed in the control of communicable diseases is stressed.