Access to rehabilitation services for road traffic injury patients in Namibia

Abstract

Purpose

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a major public health issue worldwide. The importance of physical rehabilitation following RTI is well documented. However, globally there has been very little research on the accessibility of rehabilitation services following road injury. Namibia is one of the five African countries with a fuel tax levy fund (Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, MVAF), a system of case managers, medical care, and case management system for coordination of long-term care.

Materials and methods

We investigated the availability of physical rehabilitation services to RTI injured in Namibia, through interviews with RTI patients and health care workers.

Results

Unlike the few other studies done in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), most RTI injured individuals in Namibia report they are able to access some rehabilitation following injury. In large measure, this is due to the effective MVAF system which they felt ensures follow up care for many after having an RTI. However, we found that access to rehabilitation is skewed in favour of those living in Windhoek and other urban areas compared with those in non-urban areas.

Conclusions

The MVAF model seems to enhance access to rehabilitation and is a model which could be replicated in other SSA countries and other low and middle income countries.

Implications for rehabilitation

• Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a major global public health challenge with over 1.2 million people killed and a high burden of disability and Namibia is one of the worst affected countries globally.

• There is lack of knowledge on the availability to physical rehabilitation following road injury in Namibia.

• Our study shows the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVAF) model seems to enhance access to rehabilitation and is a model which could be replicated in Sub-Saharan Africa and other low and middle income countries.

Keywords:

• Road traffic injuries (RTIs)
• disability
• rehabilitation
• health care workers (HCWs)
• public health approach

Acknowledgements

This study was part of a PhD thesis done by the main author MC, which was funded privately by main author MC. The private funds were used to pay for university tuition fees and for travel, daily expenses, and accommodation for the field trip in Namibia.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Data availability statement

The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available in the Chatukuta: 2019, UCL depository: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10088775/