When life started coming back to Juba in 2005 (I was one of the first to arrive there by road) they said the motor-bike boys were the cause of AIDS. Juba had been totally enclaved and had virtually no AIDS at all.
They may have been right.
One of the evening roles of motor-bike guys (who are called 'clando-man' here in Chad, motard in Congo. boda-boda boys in most other places) is to bring the guy to the gal or the gal to the guy. We used them as peer educators in Goma and told them to carry condoms to give/sell (and let's face it, use).
Motorcycle-Related Trauma in South Sudan: a cross sectional observational study.
Andrew Allan, University of Birmingham. AXA615@bham.ac.uk
Abstract
Motorcycle related trauma is a major cause of morbidity in those of working age in the developing world1. One
hundred and sixteen patients involved in motorcycle related accidents were identified over four weeks at the Juba
Teaching Hospital in South Sudan. Of these 84% were male with an average age of 26.7 years. Most male
injuries involved drivers, whereas the majority of female injuries were to pedestrians. The commonest injuries
were lacerations, abrasions and fractures, and the commonest regions injured were the lower and upper limbs
and the head and face.
Forty-four patients were admitted to the ward. Forty six percent of men interviewed did not hold a license,
96.5% of drivers and 91.3% of passengers were not wearing a helmet and 24.6% of drivers were under the
influence of alcohol at the time of injury.
The vast majority of accidents occurred on surfaced roads within Central Juba. This study highlights the need
for tighter regulation of motorcycle ownership, usage and personal safety in addition to wider infrastructural
development. In doing this it might be possible to reduce morbidity and the socioeconomic impact on those
involved in motorcycle related accidents and the families who depend on them.
Significant injuries to the head and face were recorded, but no enquiries were made about cognitive impairment.
Organised rehabilitation of those injured needs serious consideration by the Ministry of Health.
Background
A recent influx of petrochemical and charitable
organizations has turned Juba into a crowded
overpopulated city and brought a new wave of
inexperienced motorists. Many young men are
using their motorcycles as makeshift taxis, often
without licences or personal protection. This
coupled with poor road conditions has created a
perfect environment for motorcycle related trauma
(MRT).
The aim of this study was to determine:
1. The extent of the problem of MRT in Juba
2. The demographics of those involved
3. The method and extent of injury and
4. Contributing risk factors.
These data might help to develop a strategy to
reduce MRT and its serious impact on those
involved.
Method
The study took place over four weeks (15th April –
10th May 2009) at Juba Teaching Hospital at the
emergency surgical outpatient department and the
trauma and surgical wards.
To assess how representative these patients were of
the overall road traffic-related trauma caseload,
clinical details of all patients admitted following
road traffic accidents to the surgical and emergency
wards between April 2008 and April 2009 were
examined.
Results
A total of 116 patients were identified over the 4-
week period and 44 (38%) were admitted. All
recorded cases took place between 7.45 and 22.00
hours with a peak time between 12.00 and 16.00
hours. The percent of the accidents occurring at
different locations were:
main paved roads in central Juba 70.2%
outskirts of the city on unpaved road 8.8%
within 10 miles of Juba 10.6%
The remainder occurred over 10 miles from the
hospital.
Characteristics of patients
Of the 116 patients:
97 (84%) were males and 19 (16%) were
females.
The average age was 27.4 years for males and
24.1 years for females
23 were children (<16 years) and 21 were
unemployed. The remainder were students (≥16
years in full time education) or in paid
employment of which 10 were military
personnel.
58 were drivers (all males), 23 were passengers,
and 35 were pedestrians.
