Injury has a major impact on global health as one of the ten leading causes of death””accounting for 5 million deaths annually and leaving many more with preventable permanent disabilities. People between 15 and 44 years of age account for over 50% of injury-related deaths globally. More than 90% of deaths from injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to the lack of timely and appropriate care. Whilst injuries cause 30% more deaths than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, injury remains a silent epidemic receiving far too little attention and funding within the global health and development sectors. Addressing these issues is the AO Alliance’s raison d’éªtre.
To mark its first five years of operation last year, AO Alliance board members, under the leadership of Rolf M Jeker and former initial board member Jaime Quintero, chose to document the history and evolution of the AO Alliance. The book, AO Alliance: Partnering to strengthen care of the injured in LMICs, explores the contribution of the AO Socio-Economic Committee (AO SEC) in advancing trauma care in LMICs, analyzing the human and economic burden of injury and disability in these countries. The authors also describe the process leading to the foundation of the AO Alliance, mapping its governance, policies, strategies, funding, partnerships, and charting its progress and exploring its future path.
“This book is very fitting and welcome. It not only presents the problem in great detail, but also serves to further raise awareness about the burden of injuries. The AO Alliance has achieved an impressive record in its first five years. My foundation and myself have been engaged in this process, from the establishment of the AO Alliance and throughout its work in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. I have personally visited AO Alliance projects and witnessed the amazing impact that they are making and the exceptional motivation of the partners to improve fracture care in their countries.” ”“ Excerpt from the foreword by Hansjé¶rg Wyss
The book will be published on the AO Alliance website on May 11, 2021 to coincide with the virtual meeting of the AO Alliance Board of Directors. Stay tuned!