Background: Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) kill 1.24 million people in the world annually. It has become a major but neglected public health problem in the world including Sri Lanka. Objective: To describe characteristics of RTCs and socio-demographic characteristics of involved road users reported at the Kurunegala Police Division (KPD), Sri Lanka during April to December in 2013. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted and the study participants were involved road users of consecutively reported RTCs to ten police stations in the KPD. Data were collected using an interviewer administered structured questionnaire and a data record sheet. Results: 851 RTCs were reported during the study period with 1481 vehicles and 1887 road users involved. 7.8% of the RTCs were fatal, 70% resulted in non-fatal injuries and 22.2% caused damage only. The average rate of RTCs was 03 per day and majority (37.3%) was reported from urban areas between 12.00hr-17.59hrs. Fatal RTCs were higher between 0.00hr-05.59hrs in rural areas. The leading type of vehicles involved were motorcycles and the most vulnerable road users were males (84%) between 31-40 years. The majority of motorcyclists and pillion riders (82.8%) were wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. The majority of pedestrians (85.2%) were injured while crossing the road, out of which 34% were on a pedestrian crossing. Conclusion: Young males in productive age were the most affected by RTCs.

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Background: Malnutrition among elderly is a multi-dimensional problem which predisposes them to increased risks of disability, hospitalisation and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of and associated factors for malnutrition in communitydwelling elderly.

Background In the developed world higher traffic fines are known to improve the road safety. In Sri Lanka, the traffic fines were increased markedly in 2005; this was done after 20 years of the previous amendment. Objectives To evaluate the effects of increased traffic fines on the road safety in Sri Lanka. Methods We extracted all the police reported crash data and data on traffic offences in Sri Lanka during first quarters of each year from 2001 to 2006. Results From 2001 to 2005, driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), driving without driving license and driving without revenue license increased markedly and high speed driving doubled. After the amendments, DUI decreased by 28.0%, driving without driving license decreased by 59.5% driving without revenue license decreased by 18.4%, and high speed driving reduced by 25.9%. After 2005, the fatal injury crash rate decreased by 16.1%. Non-grievous injury rate reduced by 10.0% and the grievous injury crash rate reduced by 2.6%. Significance After the increase of fines, the traffic offences showed a marked reduction and effectively curbed crashes causing injuries and deaths in Sri Lanka.

Background In Sri Lanka, road traffic injuries (RTIs) kill one person every 4 h. RTI can cause serious economic difficulties for families. Although public sector healthcare is free in Sri Lanka, the household costs of RTI are not known. Objective To assess the costs of treatment, lost work, vehicle and other damages, transport and lodging, compensation paid, intangibles etc to households that have sustained RTI. Methods A community based cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2008 using stratified multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected using pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaires. Individuals who had sustained an injury/death due to a road traffic crash (RTC) in the preceding 12 months were included. A direct accounting approach was used. Results Of 11724 persons screened (n=3080 households), 149 had sustained RTI, of these 16 were deaths. The mean age of those injured was 28.8 years (SD=16.8). 56.6% were employed at the time of the crash. The mean household costs attributed to these injuries were Rs. 34 244 (Rs.100- Rs. 700 000), given the average family income (≤Rs.10.000). In all income groups, there were wide ranges of costs following RTI. Loss of income due to lost working days was significantly higher (p<0.001) for those who worked per hour (29) compared to those who were salaried (4).Only 14.1% had any form of health insurance. Significance The economic impact of RTI on the injured/dead victims and their families is substantial. Implementing appropriate preventive measures could reduce these economic effects, in addition to the immeasurable costs of pain, grief, and suffering. * 1US$=Rs. 114.00 1 NZD $=Rs. 100.00