Road Traffic Crash (RTC) mortality and morbidity is one of the major public health problems in Karachi. In this study we used geographic information systems (GIS) to visualize and quantify the spatial distribution of RTC mortality and yearly trend from 2008 to 2012, for all 24 administrative subdivisions of Karachi, using Road Traffic Injury Research and Prevention Center\u27s (RTIRPC) data. Cumulatively, 6040 deaths were recorded by RTIRPC, out of which we were able to map 4657 (77.1%) deaths based on location information available in the database. During the 5-year period, highest number of cumulative RTC fatalities were recorded for Kemari, Bin Qasim, and Gushan-e-Iqbal; while lowest were recorded in Malir, Orangi, Korangi Cantonment, and Karachi Cantonment. Use of GIS for studying spatial distribution of RTC would help craft better response to RTC in the city and design public policy

Ali, Mir Shabbar

Jooma, Rashid

Shaikh, Masood Ali

English

eCommons@AKU

eCommons@AKUSection of Neurosurgery Department of SurgeryJanuary 2018Spatial distribution of road traffic crash fatalities inKarachi: perspective from 2008-2012Rashid JoomaAga Khan University, rashid.jooma@aku.eduMir Shabbar AliAga Khan UniversityMasood Ali ShaikhAga Khan UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_surg_neurosurgPart of the Surgery CommonsRecommended CitationJooma, R., Ali, M., Shaikh, M. (2018). Spatial distribution of road traffic crash fatalities in Karachi: perspective from 2008-2012.JPMA: J Pak Med Assoc, 68(1), 105-108.Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_surg_neurosurg/98AbstractRoad Traffic Crash (RTC) mortality and morbidity isone of the major public health problems inKarachi.  In this study we used geographicinformation systems (GIS) to visualize and quantifythe spatial distribution of RTC mortality and yearlytrend from 2008 to 2012, for all 24 administrativesubdivisions of Karachi, using Road Traffic InjuryResearch and Prevention Center's (RTIRPC) data.Cumulatively,  6040 deaths were recorded byRTIRPC, out of which we were able to map 4657(77.1%) deaths based on location informationavailable in the database.During the 5-year period, highest number of cumulativeRTC fatalities were recorded for Kemari, Bin Qasim, andGushan-e-Iqbal; while lowest were recorded in Malir,Orangi, Korangi Cantonment, and Karachi Cantonment.Use of GIS for studying spatial distribution of RTC wouldhelp craft better response to RTC in the city and designpublic policy.Keywords: GIS, Mortality, Pakistan.IntroductionRoad Traffic Crash (RTC) mortality and morbidity is oneof the major public health problem in Karachi. Severalstudies have reported on RTC burden in Karachi,including time series analysis, based on Karachi's 'RoadTraffic Injury Research and Prevention Center' (RTIRPC)data.1-5These studies have used descriptive and analyticalapproaches to studying RTC victims, both injured anddead. However, only one study has used thegeographic information systems (GIS) approach tostudying RTC's health burden using RTIRPC's 2008data.6 While another study using 2004 medico-legaloffice records of road traffic injury cases from threemajor hospitals in Karachi used GIS to map RTCinjuries.7 These two studies mapped point data, werelimited to one year data, and did not present burdenof RTC victims by administrative subdivisions ofKarachi.Karachi is the only megacity of Pakistan, with anestimated population of 17.121 million in 2016, withprojected increase to 24 838 by the year 2030, based onUnited Nations estimates.8 The city represents ninepercent of the country's total population and 22.8% of itsurban population.8 For effectively addressing RTCmortality burden in the city, it is important to identify itsspatial distribution by administrative subdivisions ofKarachi.In this study we used GIS to visualize and quantify thespatial distribution of RTIRPC's RTC mortality and yearlytrend from 2008 to 2012, for all 24 administrativesubdivisions of Karachi.Methods and ResultsFrom September 2006 to December 2016, the KarachiRoad Traffic Injury Research and Prevention Center(RTIRPC) collected RTCs data from the emergencydepartments of five major public and privatehospitals in the city: Jinnah Postgraduate MedicalCenter, Civil Hospital Karachi, Liaquat NationalHospital, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and the Aga KhanUniversity Hospital. In 2015, data collection waslimited to three public sector hospitals only i.e.Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Civil HospitalKarachi, and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Data for allinjured or deceased victims of RTCsbrought/admitted to these hospitals were recordedon 24-hour and seven-days a week basis; eitherdirectly from the victims and/or accompanyingpersons, in addition to ambulance drivers, police andeye-witnesses. Subsequently, these records wereentered in an Excel based database.The geographic coordinates of the RTCs for each fatalvictim in the database were either geocoded or manuallyassigned as points, using the RTC location informationVol. 68, No. 1, January 2018105SHORT COMMUNICATIONSpatial distribution of road traffic crash fatalities in Karachi: Perspective from2008-2012Rashid Jooma,1 Mir Shabbar Ali,2 Masood Ali Shaikh31Section of Neurosurgery, Aga Khan University & Principal Investigator RoadTraffic Injury Research & Prevention Center, 2Department of Urban andInfrastructure Engineering, NED University of Engineering and Technology,3Independent Consultant, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi.Correspondence:Masood Ali Shaikh. Email: masoodalishaikh@gmail.comfrom the records. We analyzed data in terms ofcumulative frequencies and number of fatalities per yearfrom 2008 to 2012, for all 24 administrative subdivisionsof Karachi, using ArcMap 10.For the five-year period i.e. from the year 2008 to 2012,cumulatively 6040 deaths were recorded by RTIRPC, outof which we were able toassign points on the map(X and Y coordinates) for4657 (77.1%) deaths basedon location informationavailable in the database.Figure 1 shows all 24a d m i n i s t r a t i v esubdivisions of Karachi,and the number of fatalvictims of RTCs in each.During the 5-year period,highest number ofcumulative RTC fatalitieswere recorded for Kemari,Bin Qasim, and Gushan-e-Iqbal; while lowest wererecorded in Malir, Orangi,Korangi Cantonment, andKarachi Cantonment.Spatial distribution of RTCfatalities for eachadministrative subdivisionby each year i.e. from 2008to 2012 are shown infigures 2 and 3. Figure-2shows how all 24a d m i n i s t r a t i v esubdivisions divided andgrouped in three maps.While figure 3 shows thenumber of road trafficcrash fatalities by eachadministrative subdivisionand each year from 2008to 2012. The three maps infigure 3 how the trend ofRTC fatalities over thecourse of five years in eacha d m i n i s t r a t i v esubdivision. Again Kemariand Bin Qasim areas showthe highest number ofRTC fatalities, albeit withsome fluctuation over thestudy period. While Malir,Orangi, KarachiCantonment, and Korangicantonment persistentlyJ Pak Med Assoc106 R. Jooma, M. S. Ali, M. A. ShaikhFigure-1: Administrative subdivisions of Karachi (left), and number of road traffic crash fatalities by administrative subdivisions (right).Starting from left to right; the first map shows all 24 administrative subdivisions grouped in three, next three maps show the namesand areas of administrative subdivisions in each groupFigure-2: Grouping of Karachi administrative subdivisions.show the lowest number of such fatalities for each year,during the 5-year period. All other administrativesubdivisions show varying levels of RTC fatality trends byyear.DiscussionIn this study GIS was used to quantify and visualize thespatial distribution of RTC mortality and yearly trend from2008 to 2012, for all 24 administrative subdivisions ofKarachi. We identified the administrative subdivisionswith the cumulative highest, and lowest RTC fatalityburden, as well as year-to-year trends in each. CumulativeRTC fatality burden by administrative subdivision, duringthe 5-year study period, was echoed in the 5-year, year-to-year trend.However, there were differences in the number offatalities each year, during the study period, inadministrative subdivisions of Karachi.This is the first study of its kind in Pakistan to visualizethe 5-year spatial trend of RTC mortality in Karachi byadministrative subdivisions. However, availability oflocation data was the limitation of our study, as wewere able to spatially aggregate fatalities data for77.1% of the fatalities recorded during the studyperiod. Secondly, our data were limited to five majorhospitals of Karachi. Hence, results need to beinterpreted with these caveats. Nonetheless, weprovide a perspective on spatial distribution of RTCfatality in Karachi that underscores the need for bettercollection of RTC location information in future studiesfrom all hospitals. Use of cell phones is becomingubiquitous, and GPS-enabled 'smart' phones is on therise in Karachi, as in other parts of the country. Thusproviding a unique opportunity to collect and reportlocationinformation for RTCs and other public health events datausing crowd sourcing applications.9,10When this data collection and reporting is coordinatedefficiently, it could reap rich benefits — at low cost —for better understanding of spatial distribution, andresponse to RTC and other public health events in thecity and the country by helping choreograph publicpolicy.Disclaimer: None.Conflict of Interest: This first author being incharge ofthe Karachi's road traffic injury research and preventionCenter (RTIRPC) has signed the IRB statement declaringthat ethical approval has been granted for conduct ofspatial analysis of RTIRPC's data.Funding Disclosure: None.References1. Jooma R, Shaikh MA. Descriptive epidemiology of Karachi roadtraffic crash mortality from 2007 to 2014. J Pak Med Assoc.Vol. 68, No. 1, January 2018Spatial distribution of road traffic crash fatalities in Karachi: Perspective from 2008-2012 107Figure-3: Number of road traffic crash fatalities by administrative subdivisions and year from 2008 to 2012.2016; 66:1475-80.2. Jooma R, Shaikh MA. Road traffic crash related injured and fatalvictims in Karachi from 2007 to 2014: A time-series analysis. J PakMed Assoc. 2017; 67:622-6.3. Mehmood A, Razzak JA, Mir MU, Jooma R. Differences in risk-adjusted outcome of road  traffic injuries in urban tertiary carecenters of Pakistan. J Pak Med Assoc. 2015; 65:984-9.4. Mehmood A, Khan IQ, Mir MU, Moin A, Jooma R. Vulnerable roadusers are at greater risk during Ramadan -- results from road trafficsurveillance data. J Pak Med Assoc. 2015; 65: 287-91.5. Khan UR, Bhatti JA, Shamim MS, Zia N, Razzak JA, Jooma R.Clothing-related motorcycle injuries in Pakistan: findings from asurveillance study. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot. 2015; 22:308-13.6. Lateef MU. Spatial patterns monitoring of road traffic injuries inKarachi metropolis. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot. 2011; 18: 97-105.7. Razzak JA, Khan UR, Jalal S. Application of geographicalinformation system (GIS) for mapping road traffic injuries usingexisting source of data in Karachi, Pakistan - a pilot study. J Pak JPak Med Assoc. 2011; 61:640-3.8. The World's Cities in 2016. [Online] [Cited 2017 July 2]. Available from:URL:http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/urbanization/the_worlds_cities_in_2016_data_booklet.pdf 9. Crowd source Reporter.[Online] [Cited 2017 July 2] Availablefrom: URL: http://solutions.arcgis.com/local-government/help/crowdsource-reporter/ 10. Geography Can Serve as a Starting Point for Building Strong,Lasting Relationships with Communities.[Online] [Cited 2017July 2]. Available from: URL: http://www.esri.com/esri-news/arcnews/summer15articles/gis-empowers-community-engagement .J Pak Med Assoc108 R. Jooma, M. S. Ali, M. A. Shaikh

Spatial distribution of road traffic crash fatalities in Karachi: Perspective from 2008-2012

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Spatial distribution of road traffic crash fatalities in Karachi: Perspective from 2008-2012

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