WHO hosts first Global Forum on Trauma Care
The first Global Forum on Trauma Care was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 28-29 October 2009. The Forum - organized by WHO with the support of the Ministry of Health of Brazil, the State and City Governments of Rio de Janeiro, and the Bone and Joint Decade - convened around 100 of the world's leading trauma care experts, including representatives of professional societies who deal with trauma or emergency medicine, ministry of health planners whose portfolios include trauma, and other interested stakeholders. The goals of this Forum were to draw greater attention to the affordable and sustainable improvements in trauma care services which could be applied globally and explore strategies to increase attention to trauma care.
The opening ceremony involved the Minister of Health of Brazil, the representative of the Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the Health Secretary of the City of Rio de Janeiro and WHO officials among others. Brazil's new "lei seca" featured in many of the presentations by the officials from the country, as this policy of zero tolerance for drinking and driving is already demonstrating some very positive results. Dr Jeremy Shiffman of Syracuse University in the USA presented his analysis on the factors needed to generate political priority to specific health topics. The list of factors presented in his Lancet paper served as a basis for several of the subsequent working groups. Forum participants agreed on a set of strategies and messages around which to advocate in the future and discussed an agenda for action. They also invited WHO to play a key role in the creation of an informal network or alliance involving many of the leading professional associations and NGOs involved in trauma care. WHO will continue to work with key partners to develop an agenda for action for work on this topic in the coming years.