Hospital based injury surveillance – a study on the severity of motorcycle crashes in Myanmar

In a collaborative effort by the WHO and the Ministry of Health, a hospital surveillance system was implemented at five hospitals throughout Myanmar. Through this system, data on injury causes and severity with a focus on road traffic crashes is collected and stored digitally. Since the majority of motorized vehicles in Myanmar are motorcycles, a special survey was conducted at two sentinel hospitals on patients involved in motorcycle crashes. Data on crash severity and helmet use was collected through questionnaires. Results show a helmet use rate among riders of 47%, and a clear link of helmet use and injury severity.