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Objectives. To better understand national data sources and evaluate time trends in road traffic fatalities (RTF) in China. Methods. We reviewed national sources on RTF data. These included population-based report from the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), sample-based estimates from the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Disease Surveillance Points System (DSP), as well as model-based estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD). Results. All data sources have limitations in coverage, representativeness or overreliance on model specifications. Despite the discrepancies in methodologies and estimates, all sources indicated an increase in RTF before 2005. Since then, MPS and GBD indicated a decrease, DSP showed plateauing, and MOH and WHO suggested increasing fatalities. However, despite any recent decline, RTF remain high. Conclusions. The divergent trends in RTF across data sets in China implies a challenge to understanding China's experience with addressing RTF. China needs to reconcile data sources and further improve road safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including "A Motivational Interviewing Intervention to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake Through Black Churches: Results of the Eat for Life Trial," "Attacks on Science: The Risk to Evidence-Based Policy," and one on the World Health Report 2000.

The author comments on an article that raises ethical concerns regarding plans for global polio eradication. Among the issues raised in the article that the author believes need further clarification are: savings from polio eradication are located primarily in the developed countries since paralyzed children have little access to care and that preventive services such as immunization will have to compete with alternative services.