The Road Traffic Injuries Research Network launches a Helmet Multi-centre Research Project

Although we know a lot about the effectiveness of helmets, we know little about topics such as helmet wearing rates, use of non-standard helmets, and helmet legislation - especially in low-income and middle-income countries. The Road Traffic Injuries Research Network, with funding from the World Bank and World Health Organization, issued a call for proposals for research in these areas. Grant proposals were received from more than 30 institutions, and ten were selected for a multi-centre research study on "Facilitating Reductions in Non-Standard Motorcycle Helmet Use”. The successful countries, institutions and principal investigators are listed below:

• China: The China-Australia Partnership for Health, the George Institute for International Health (Principal Investigator: Dr James Yu);
• Ghana: The Building and Road Research Institute (Principal Investigator: Dr Francis Afukaar);
• India: The National Institutes of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Principal Investigator: Dr G. Gururaj);
• Malyasia: University Putra Malaysia & University of Malaya (Principal Investigator: Dr Kulanthayan Mani);
• Mexico: The National Institute of Public Health of Mexico (Principal Investigator: Ms  Elisa Hidalgo Solorzano);
• Nigeria: College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (Principal Investigator: Dr Eme Owoaje);
• Pakistan: Aga Khan University (Principal Investigator: Dr Junaid Razzak);
• Sri Lanka: University of Peradeniya (Principal Investigator: Dr Samath Dharmaratne);
• Thailand: Faculty of Public Health, Thammasat University (Principal Investigator: Dr Nuntavarn Vichit-Vadakan);
• Vietnam: Hanoi Department of Public Health (Principal Investigator: Dr Tuan Pham).

Data collection will begin in early next year and the studies are projected to be concluded by the end of 2007. We look forward to  learning oft the results of the this project.

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