As the world marks the 2021 World Trauma Day, the Nigerian Orthopaedic Association has said that six million people die annually from traumatic injuries around the world.
This is contained in a release signed by the Chairman of the Association, Prof. Kunle Olawepo.
Olawepo, who is also the Chairman of Nigeria Medical Association Committee on Road Safety and Trauma Services, said that more than 80 per cent of deaths are attributable to road traffic crashes, contributing more deaths than malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
The release stated that injuries could also lead to temporary or permanent disabilities.
According to the release, effects of trauma can be physical injuries such as deformities, loss of body parts/organs and death.
“Plane crashes cause a significant number of deaths across the globe. Mortality arising from wars was put at about 24,000 in 2014, while between 50–60 million were displaced during the Second World War.
“Estimated deaths from Boko Haram terrorism and insurgency alone are put at an average of 1,000 per year in the last three years.
“Oct. 17 annually is commemorated as World Trauma Day, a day which highlights the increasing rate of accidents and injuries causing deaths and disabilities across the world and the need to prevent them.
“This day was first celebrated in New Delhi in 2011 by the World Health Organization.
“Trauma is broadly divided into physical and emotional trauma and therefore can be defined as either a physical injury to a living tissue caused by external force, physical harm, or an emotional, psychological, distress in response to an unpleasant situation,” the release said.
The release further stated that trauma cuts across all ages, sexes, races and societal strata.
Physical trauma consist of events such as road traffic accidents, plane crashes, boat and ship wreckage, fire outbreaks, flooding, building collapse, earthquake, banditary, militancy, kidnapping and others.
To prevent trauma, the association urged the government to make provision of safe roads for land travels throughout the country, provision of basic amenities, free first aid services to accidents victims, tackling kidnapping, militancy and others.