Burden of Transport-Related Injuries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
Authors: GBD 2017 EMR Transport Injuries Collaborators  , Safiri Saeid , Sullman Mark J. M. , Lajunen Timo , Hill Tetiana , Almasi-Hashiani Amir , Moradi-Lakeh Maziar , Farzadfar Farshad , Sepanlou Sadaf G. , Abu-Gharbieh Eman , Aghamolaei Teamur , Ahmad Tauseef , Alghnam Suliman A. , Al-Hajj Samar , Alipour Vahid , Aljunid Syed Mohamed , Anjomshoa Mina , Ansari-Moghaddam Alireza , Arabloo Jalal , Bayati Mohsen , Bedi Neeraj , Bendak Salaheddine , Bhutta Zulfiqar A , Bijani Ali , Dahlawi Saad M A , Dianatinasab Mostafa , Dibaji Forooshani Zahra Sadat , Elhabashy Hala Rashad , Emami Zeydi Amir , Eskandarieh Sharareh , Ghafourifard Mansour , Ghashghaee Ahmad , Grivna Michal , Gubari Mohammed Ibrahim Mohialdeen , Hamadeh Randah R , Hamidi Samer , Hayat Khezar , Homaie Rad Enayatollah , Hosseinzadeh Mehdi , Househ Mowafa , Naghibi Irvani Seyed Sina , Jahani Mohammad Ali , Kalankesh Leila R , Kalhor Rohollah , Kamel Ibrahim , Khammarnia Mohammad , Khan Maseer , Khazaie Habibolah , Komaki Hamidreza , Lahimchi Amitis , Madadin Mohammed , Maleki Shokofeh , Manafi Navid , Mansour-Ghanaei Fariborz , Mansournia Mohammad Ali , Menezes Ritesh G , Mohammad Yousef , Mohammadian-Hafshejani Abdollah , Mohebi Farnam , Moradi Ghobad , Moradzadeh Rahmatollah , Mousavi Seyyed Meysam , Naderi Mehdi , Nikbakhsh Rajan , Pakshir Keyvan , Pourshams Akram , Rabiee Navid , Rafiei Alireza , Rawassizadeh Reza , Rezapour Aziz , Saddik Basema , Saeedi Moghaddam Sahar , Salamati Payman , Salem Marwa Rashad , Salem Hosni , Samy Abdallah M , Sathian Brijesh , Shahabi Saeed , Shaikh Masood Ali , Shams-Beyranvand Mehran , Shamsizadeh Morteza , Sobhiyeh Mohammad Reza , Soheili Amin , Tehrani-Banihashemi Arash , Waheed Yasir , Yusefzadeh Hasan , Zahirian Moghadam Telma , Zaki Leila , Zamani Mohammad , Zandian Hamed , Malekzadeh Reza , Naghavi Mohsen 
Published: September 2021

Background: Transport-related injuries (TIs) are a substantial public health concern for all regions of the world. The present study quantified the burden of TIs and deaths in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR) in 2017 by sex and age. Methods: TIs and deaths were estimated by age, sex, country, and year using Cause of Death Ensemble modelling (CODEm) and DisMod-MR 2.1. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which quantify the total burden of years lost due to premature death or disability, were also estimated per 100000 population. All estimates were reported along with their corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Results: In 2017, there were 5.5 million (UI 4.9–6.2) transport-related incident cases in the EMR – a substantial increase from 1990 (2.8 million; UI 2.5–3.1). The age-standardized incidence rate for the EMR in 2017 was 787 (UI 705.5–876.2) per 100000, which has not changed significantly since 1990 (-0.9%; UI -4.7 to 3). These rates differed remarkably between countries, such that Oman (1303.9; UI 1167.3–1441.5) and Palestine (486.5; UI 434.5-545.9) had the highest and lowest age-standardized incidence rates per 100000, respectively. In 2017, there were 185.3 thousand (UI 170.8–200.6) transport-related fatalities in the EMR – a substantial increase since 1990 (140.4 thousand; UI 118.7–156.9). The age-standardized death rate for the EMR in 2017 was 29.5 (UI 27.1–31.9) per 100000, which was 30.5% lower than that found in 1990 (42.5; UI 36.8–47.3). In 2017, Somalia (54; UI 30–77.4) and Lebanon (7.1; UI 4.8–8.6) had the highest and lowest age-standardized death rates per 100,000, respectively. The age-standardised DALY rate for the EMR in 2017 was 1,528.8 (UI 1412.5–1651.3) per 100000, which was 34.4% lower than that found in 1990 (2,331.3; UI 1,993.1–2,589.9). In 2017, the highest DALY rate was found in Pakistan (3454121; UI 2297890- 4342908) and the lowest was found in Bahrain (8616; UI 7670-9751). Conclusion: The present study shows that while road traffic has become relatively safer (measured by deaths and DALYs per 100000 population), the number of transport-related fatalities in the EMR is growing and needs to be addressed urgently.