In Bangladesh, we are working to develop strategies, costed action plans, protocols and training manuals for pre-hospital and hospital care, and to support a pilot project to build the capacity for pre-hospital and hospital care for victims of road crash injuries.

High fatality and injury rates on Bangladesh’s roads are undermining the remarkable progress that the country has made on boosting economic growth and reducing poverty.

Road traffic injuries have emerged as a worrying public health problem in Bangladesh. As per the WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018, estimated 25,000 people lost their lives in 2016 due to road traffic injuries in Bangladesh.

According to Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey 2016, two-thirds of all road traffic fatalities die on the way to hospital and three-fourths do not receive any form of pre-hospital care.

Given that post-crash morbidity and mortality can be reduced by providing timely pre-hospital and hospital-based care, it is imperative to have a robust post-crash response system in place.

There is no strategy, protocol or guideline on pre-hospital care to ensure emergency medical services to road crash victims at the crash site and for the protection of the persons who provide roadside care to victims.

Pre-hospital and hospital-based trauma care services are not well developed in Bangladesh.

However, currently a few organizations are providing on-the-spot first aid and transport service to crash victims.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Bangladesh, with support from the WHO and other relevant stakeholders, will develop a strategy and action plan through stakeholder consultations to strengthen the post-crash care for victims of road traffic injuries.

This project will develop and strengthen pre-hospital and hospital care, including engaging the community, training volunteers, setting up telecommunication protocols, ensuring logistic supplies, arranging safe transportation of the injured persons to nearby hospital, strengthening emergency management of injured patients at roadside primary health care facilities, and sustainable funding for the initiative.

The strategic plan will be aligned with the National Road Safety Action Plan.