Overview of burden due to injuries (Sources: Annual Health Bulletin, Annual acute NCD report, 2017, National Injury Surveillance, 2018, NCD unit, Ministry of Health, WHO country report, 2018)

Morbidity

• Injuries are the number 1 cause of hospitalization over the last 2 decades.
• About 1 million people are hospitalized each year due to Injuries.
• Every minute, at least 2 individuals are admitted due to Injuries to any government hospital for inward care.
• Each year, Injuries accounted for about 17 – 18 % of total admissions to government hospitals
• An estimated number of 2 – 3 million victims due to Injuries are treated as outpatients from government hospitals and private and ayurvedic sectors. Therefore, every year, at least 1 out of 5 from the whole population may be subjected to an injury which needs medical attention.
• As a result, about 11000 individuals may receive health care for Injuries daily and at least 8 Sri Lankans receive medical care every minute.
• As some victims who need medical attention seek home remedies without attending any health facility, the number of victims due to Injuries may be even higher than the estimated number.
• Further, if considered all Injuries, the number of victims due to injuries could be several millions.
• Of all reported injuries, mostly admitted due to falls (24%) and most reported injuries occurred at home (40%). Most were affected while travelling (24%).

Mortality

• Annually, Injuries claim 14000 lives of Sri Lankan. Hence, Injuries kill at least 38 Sri Lankans (about 3 individuals in every 2 hours).
• Injuries are the 4th cause of death in Sri Lanka (10% of all deaths ~ 14000) and it is the 10th cause of hospital deaths (3.7% ~ 2000).
• Therefore, more than 10000 individuals die due to injuries before admitting to hospitals due to several reasons.

Injury Burden

• The burden of Injuries is projected to increase in the next decade as a result of rapid changes in lifestyles of people due to urbanization, industrialization, mechanization and infrastructure development if appropriate preventive strategies are not implemented.
• Majority of the Injured victims are in the productive age group (15 to 44 years) and it is the number one killer of that age group too.
• Injuries cause destructive long-term consequences not only to the victim but also to the family and to the society as well.
• A huge amount of the annual country budget is spent on patient care due to Injuries.
• Hidden cost due to Injuries are also very high and not yet identified properly.

Most Injuries especially unintentional Injuries are predictable and preventable when proper safety precautions are taken. But it is very difficult to achieve it due to a number of reasons such as lack of knowledge, lack of taking safety precautions, lack of adherence to the law, carelessness, lack of first aid skills and poor transportation, poor environmental conditions, poor conditions and improper maintenance of equipment such as vehicles and machinery etc.