World Lung Foundation Calls for Emergency Medical Services to Protect Rural Populations
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Contact: Jorge Alday, Public Relations Manager
(New York) – On World Health Day, World Lung Foundation calls on government health ministries and NGOs to address a neglected need for emergency services in rural areas, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
The World Health Organization's emphasis for World Health Day 2009 is on the resilience and safety of health facilities and the health workers who treat those affected by emergencies. Many of the world's rural areas, however, have very few trained health workers and almost no emergency facilities.
Training existing workers in basic emergency surgery has been shown to reduce the number of maternal and newborn deaths in rural populations. In one World Lung Foundation project in rural Tanzania, case fatality from complicated deliveries is expected to shrink from 1.2% to less than 1%, saving the lives of 360 mothers and 1,500 newborn children each year.
"Despite global trends of urbanization, more than three billion people live in rural areas and these people have far fewer options for emergency services," said Peter Baldini, Chief Executive Officer, World Lung Foundation. "Training TB case workers, HIV medical staff and other general public health staff in basic emergency procedures can fill this void quickly and effectively."
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About World Lung Foundation
World Lung Foundation was established in response to the global epidemic of lung disease, which kills 10 million people each year. The organization improves global lung health by improving local capacity to conduct research, develop public policy and deliver public health education. The organization's areas of emphasis are tobacco control, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, asthma, and child lung health. For more information, please visit worldlungfoundation.org