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Presents letters to the editor on various medical topics as of May 11, 2002. Road traffic injuries as a global health problem; Effect of increasing visibility of speed cameras on deaths and injuries caused by road traffic collisions; Need for changes to the system of renewal of driving licenses for elderly people; Others.

Highlights the World Health Day by the World health Organization (WHO) on April 17, 2004. Theme selected for 2004; Intention of WHO; Debate on the possibility for road traffic injury prevention.

Injury has become a major cause of death and disability world-wide. Systematic approaches to its prevention and treatment are needed. In terms of treatment, there are many low-cost improvements that could be made particularly in low- and middle-income countries to strengthen their trauma systems. These can be formalised under “Essential Trauma Care” programme, similar to other global programmes for major public health problems.World Health Organisation (WHO), leading the initiative in this direction, convened a meeting at Geneva in June 2002, involving Injuries and Violence Prevention Department of the WHO, the Working Group for Essential Trauma Care of the International Association for Trauma and Surgical Intensive Care (IATSIC), representatives of other organisations and trauma care clinicians representing Africa, Asia, and Latin America.The meeting developed a preliminary list of Essential Trauma Care services and a model template for the skills and equipment needed to assure them. It is intended to be used to assist individual countries in planning their own trauma care services. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Increasing motorization leads to bleak projections for the future of road safety in many low- and middle-income countries. World Bank extrapolations suggest that between 2000 and 2020, road traffic deaths will decline by nearly 30% in high-income countries but will increase by upto 87% in low- and middle-income countries. The World report on road traffic injury prevention aims to raise awareness about the issue of road safety, and contribute to a shift in thinking about the nature of the problem of road traffic injury prevention, and appreciate the importance of road traffic injuries as a public health issue. South Asia currently faces an enormous challenge in this regard. However, Asian governments and stakeholders are now taking positive steps as they are aware that urgent action is needed. The responsibility for this problem needs to be shared among sectors, with public health taking an active role to end the carnage. The time for action is now. Partnerships and a systematic approach to this problem will save lives.