Road traffic accidents killing more people yet a neglected public health concern in Uganda

By Baluku Matayo

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oad traffic injuries are the eighth leading cause of death globally, and the leading cause of death for young people aged 15–29, leave alone the disability and economic consequences it accrues. According to the World Health Organization, 7,806–9,709 deaths occur in Uganda every year.

Whereas our country has comprehensive legislation on four of the five key risk factors for road traffic injuries (i.e. speed, drink–driving, motorcycle helmets, seat-belts and child restraints), there is reluctance among passengers and drivers to prioritize their safety on the road.

Drivers tend to only reduce speed, or ‘pretend to wear’ a seat-belt when they suspect a traffic police officer ahead. On many occasions passengers join hands with drivers/conductors to abuse a police officer attempting to enforce appropriate traffic laws.

There is also reluctance on the part of some police officers to enforce these laws. I remember there was a time when the police was ‘serious’ at enforcing this law. Did it die a ‘natural’ death?  

Failure to use a seat-belt is a major risk factor for road traffic injuries and deaths among vehicle occupants. Wearing a seat-belt reduces the risk of a fatal injury by 40–50% for drivers and front seat occupants, and up to 75% for rear seat occupants.

Enforcing seat-belt laws in Uganda needs more emphasis for both front and rear seat occupants. This should apply to both private and public vehicles. It should be preceded with extensive public awareness campaigns including support from politicians and the media. However, the other question that you need to answer is who is responsible for your own safety on the road? What are you doing to ensure this safety?

As a practice, remember to wear your seat belt. If your car doesn't have seat belts, buy. Prevention is better and cheaper than cure

WHAT SAFTEY PLANS DOES UGANDA AND COMMUNITIES HAVE FOR SURVIVORS OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE?

By Baluku Matayo

The press and social media has been running stories of how Moses Muhangi of NamasubaWakiso District killed his lover and a mother of their two children Josephine Nambogo. This is just a tip of iceberg to demonstrate the forms and consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV) occurring among couples.  According to Word Health Organization, IPV is one of the most common forms of violence against women and includes physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and controlling behaviors by an intimate partner. In Uganda, 60% of ever-married women have experienced at least one form IPV. Some have even died in the process.

The one question people often ask of survivors of domestic violence is: “Why do/did you stay in an abusive relationship?” Why doesn’t she just leave?” Sometimes the question is meant as an honest inquiry.  However, often it is spoken with an undercurrent of hostility or disbelief—sendinga message that women who stay in abusive relationships are somehow to blame for their abuse. This is not often the case, and unless there is an understanding of these factors, the fight against violence against women remains incomplete.

To begin with, no woman ever wants her marriage not to work. Nearly all survivors of domestic violence will tell us this. One of the reasons they will remain in this relationship is fear. Fear for the public perception that she didn’t do enough to keep her marriage; fear that the partner will spread horrible rumors about her; fear that the partner might hunt her down and kill her and many other fears.

The other reason is concerns about the children. Every mother has a special attachment to her children that it can never be an easy decision to ‘abandon’ them. The abused woman might also be deeply attached to her partner. The attachment might evolve from the marriage vows they made to each other, the religious beliefs about divorce, or the past good moments. Some women may be economically dependent on their partners that they can’t imagine a life without the husband. She keeps hoping for change.

Some of our cultures tend to send the message that a woman’s value depends on her being in a relationship.  Women without partners tend to be devalued, worse still if they divorced. Some women are taught that how it’s their responsibility to maintain the relationship and support their partners, so they may feel guilty about leaving or feel they have “failed.”  Consequently, wife-beating is, in some communities, taken as normal and acceptable. And as a result, many people turn a "deaf ear" to marital violence and believe that what goes on behind closed doors is a "private matter."

That said, Josephine had overcome all these and many other barriers. She had left her abusive husband and re-located to her parents’ home, only to be killed at the gate by the very husband she had run away from. This brings a question into the equation: what safety plans do we have for survivors of violence against women?  

THETA TO HOLD 2nd ANNUAL NATIONAL TRADITIONAL MEDICINE CONFERENCE (ANTRAMEC)

About the Conference

 THETA Uganda in partnership with the Natural Chemotherapeutic Research Institute (NCRI) and World Health Organisation (WHO) Uganda is organizing a 2nd Annual  National Traditional Medicine Conference (ANTREMEC) to take place in Kampala on 27th - 29th August 2014.

The conference will bring together researchers, practitioners,policy makers,academia and the business community to deliberate on traditional medicine research in Uganda. This is yet another opportunity to promote evidence based Traditional and complementary medicine practice in Uganda. Its also a platform for networking between different actors in traditional and complementary medicine sub sector. 

The conference Theme is "promoting evidence based use of traditional medicine in the Ugandan health care system”
Conference sub-themes are:

1. Preclinical and clinical research in traditional medicine.
2. Best practices in capacity building in traditional medicine research.
3. Ethno botanical research
4. Best practices in traditional and complementary medicine.
5. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in relation to TM and medicinal products.
6. Policy and regulatory frameworks for traditional medicine

For more information please contact us on:  antramec2014@thetaug.org

http://antramec.thetaug.org/