Public health
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To assess the burden of road traffic injury (RTI) in primary and secondary level hospitals in Bangladesh, and its economic impact on affected families. ⋯ RTI is a major cause of hospital admission in Bangladesh, and represents an economic and social burden for the family and the nation. A national strategy and road safety programme need to be developed to reduce the hospital burden and minimize the economic and social impact.
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Comparative Study
Controlled evaluation of injury in an international Safe Community: Kashmar, Iran.
To determine the degree to which the Safe Community (SC) model is effective in reducing injuries. Although positive results have been reported for some communities in developed countries, there is no consistent relationship between being an international designated SC and subsequent changes in observed rate of injury, and no controlled studies have examined the effectiveness of the SC model in developing countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the injuries in the SC programme of Kashmar (population 149,358) with injuries in counties in Iran that have not applied the SC model. ⋯ The controlled evaluation of injury in the international SC of Kashmar showed an increase in the number and rate of injuries in Kashmar and in the 44 control counties over 3 years, but the injury-related fatality rate decreased over the same time period. A greater decrease was seen in Kashmar than in the control counties. Long-term evaluation is necessary to confirm these results.
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While the introduction of biomedicine within the Sri Lankan healthcare system has resulted in reduced reliance on traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) over the last century in Sri Lanka, treatment modalities such as Ayurveda, Sinhala and traditional religious practices still receive considerable public support. Cancer is an increasing burden in Sri Lanka, and whilst Sri Lankans are known to use TCAM for everyday ailments, there has been no research examining the role of TCAM in the context of cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and patterns of TCAM use by cancer patients. ⋯ The high use of TCAM amongst cancer patients in Sri Lanka raises numerous important issues, including those related to patient safety, potential benefit, interactions with biomedical cancer treatments, and delays in seeking biomedical cancer care. Further research is needed to explore the decision-making processes of cancer patients, including the perceived benefits/limitations of key processes in biomedical and TCAM care.