NEW YORK, Jan. 31 U.S. hospitals and organizations are distributing 5,000 free helmets in the Dominican Republic in an effort to reduce traffic-related injuries and deaths.
Officials with the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, as well as hospital, government and university partners, are scheduled to attend the 50th Caribbean Series in Santiago, Dominican Republic, next week to disseminate the public health message that helmets save lives. The groups also plans to distribute 5,000 free helmets as part of the World Health Organization Helmet Initiative.
Traffic accidents are the top cause of death for working-age men in the Dominican Republic with motorcycles and mopeds -- a popular mode of transportation -- accounting for a majority of incidents.
Last September, NewYork-Presbyterian participated in the First National Trauma Training Course in Santiago to improve outcomes for trauma cases.
Copyright 2008 by UPI
