Vol 39 # 2 June 2007 - Kma.org.kw

204WHO-Facts Sheet June 2007years, according to a new report published by theWorld Health Organization (WHO). The report,Youth and Road Safety, says that nearly 400,000young people under the age of 25 are killed in roadtraffic crashes every year. Millions more are injuredor disabled.The vast majority of these deaths and injuriesoccur in low- and middle-income countries. Thehighest rates are found in Africa and the MiddleEast. Young people from economically disadvantagedbackgrounds are at greatest risk in every country.Young males are at higher risk for road trafficfatalities than females in every age group under 25years.Unless more comprehensive global action istaken, the number of deaths and injuries is likely torise significantly. Road traffic collisions cost anestimated $518 billion globally in material, healthand other costs. For many low- and middle-incomecountries, the cost of road crashes re p re s e n t sbetween 1-1.5% of GNP and in some cases exceedthe total amount they receive in internationaldevelopment aid.Youth and Road Safety stresses that the bulk ofthese crashes are predictable - and preventable.Many involve children playing on the street, youngpedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, novice driversand passengers of public transport.The report points out that, children are not justlittle adults. Their height, level of maturity, theirinterests, as well as their need to play and travelsafely to school, mean that they require specialsafety measures. Also, the report says, protectingolder youth requires other measures such as lowerblood alcohol limits for young drivers andgraduated license programmes.Youth and Road Safety highlights examples incountries where improved measures such aslowering speed limits, cracking down on drinkdriving,promoting and enforcing the use of seatbelts,child restraints, and motorcycle helmets, aswell as better road infrastructure and creating safea reas for children to play have significantlyreduced the number of deaths and injuries.“The lack of safety on our roads has become animportant obstacle to health and development,”said Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General.“Our children and young adults are among themost vulnerable. Road traffic crashes are not‘accidents’. We need to challenge the notion thatthey are unavoidable and make room for a proactive,preventive approach. “For more information contact: Laura Sminkey,Technical Officer, WHO, Geneva, Tel: +41 22 791 4547,Mobile: +41 79 249 3520, Email: sminkeyl@who.int.3. WHO PROPOSES GLOBAL AGENDA ONTRANSPLANTATIONNew World Observatory Launched with SpainAt the second Global Consultation onTransplantation held in March 2007, the WorldHealth Organization (WHO) presented countriesand other stakeholders with a blueprint forupdated global guiding principles on cell, tissueand organ donation and transplantation.Those principles aim to address a number ofproblems: the global shortage of human materials -particularly organs - for transplantation; the gro w i n gphenomenon of ‘transplant tourism’ partly causedby that shortage; quality, safety and e fficacy issuesrelated to transplantation pro c e d u re s ; traceabilityand accountability of human materials crossingborders.Stakeholders agreed to the creation of a GlobalForum on Transplantation to be spearheaded byWHO, to assist and support developing countriesinitiating transplantation programmes and to worktowards a unified global coding system for cells,tissues and organs.A central theme of the discussions was WHO’sconcern over increasing cases of commerc i a lexploitation of human materials.“Human organs are not spare parts,” said DrHoward Zucker, WHO Assistant Director-Generalof Health Technology and Pharmaceuticals. “Noone can put a price on an organ which is going tosave someone’s life.”“Non-existent or lax laws on organ donationand transplantation encourage commercialism andtransplant tourism,” said Dr Luc Noel, in charge oftransplantation at WHO. “If all countries agree ona common approach, and stop commercial exploitation,then access will be more equitable and we will havefewer health tragedies.”Transplantation is increasingly seen as the bestsolution to end-stage organ failure . E n d - s t a g ekidney disease, for instance, can only be re p a i re dwitha kidney transplant. Without it, the patient will dieor require dialysis for years, which is an expensivep ro c e d u re and often out of reach of poore rpatients. Transplantation is the only option forsome liver conditions, such as severe cirrhosis orliver cancer, and a number of serious heartconditions.Recent estimates communicated to WHO by 98countries show that the most sought after organ isthe kidney. Sixty-six thousand kidneys weretransplanted in 2005 representing a mere 10% of theestimated need. In the same year, 21000 livers and6000 hearts were transplanted. Both kidney andliver transplants are on the rise but demand is alsoincreasing and remains unmatched.