ROAD TRAFFIC INJURY (RTI) EPIDEMIC IS ON THE RISE, NOT DECLINING IN ETHIOPIA: A SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF AVAILABLE LITERATURE.

Trend of road traffic Injury

Abstract

Introduction: Silent epidemic and death is happening in low and middle income countries, including Ethiopia, due to road traffic injury. In this systematic review, we seek to analyze road traffic injury characteristics in Ethiopia from available literatures.

Methods: An electronic search for road traffic injuries was done on peer reviewed literature and web sites spanning from 1965-2022. A systematic narrative summary was conducted on the literature involving study design, study setting, topic focus, results and other study variables. Identified themes were analyzed.

Result: A total of 451 literature search results were found in the specified period with 33 of the studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies (28/33) were hospital based. In all reports, a higher proportion of injury was found in economically active age groups, with an age range of 10-50, with the highest proportion of 87.9% being described by Feleke et al. Most of the studies reported a higher proportion (2/3^rd) of injuries among male patients. One study (31) gave occupational details of the patients. The majority of the road traffic victims were daily laborers 41.3%. The Proportion of pedestrians affected in Addis Ababa was more than in the outskirts, ranging from 62.6-93 %( 11, 22, 23), while in the regional hospitals’ report, the range was from 33.4-35.4. After 2004, the incidence of car crashes rapidly increased. In central Ethiopia, the numbers of crashes, fatal accidents, and non-fatal road traffic collisions had increased by more than double in a six year period.

Conclusion: This review of the literature has revealed the increasing burden of road traffic accidents in Ethiopia. Low socio economic status, young age, male sex, and productive communities are disproportionately affected. There should be urgent action to prevent road traffic injury in Ethiopia focusing on human factors.