Road traffic crashes: operationalizing equity in the context of health sector reform.

Because of the increased incidence of road traffic crashes in developing countries and their preventable nature, they are beginning to be recognized as a public health problem. The difference in road traffic crashes between developed and developing countries is well understood: approximately 85% of all traffic deaths take place in low and middle income countries. The paper explains the acronym PROGRESS that stands for place of residence, religion, occupation, gender, race/ethnicity, education, socioeconomic status and social networks and capital. That comprehensive list highlights the multidimensionality of the distribution of health among population subgroups. The increasing incidence of road traffic crashes in developing countries and the emerging public health constituency that is seen mobilizing around road safety provides an opportune moment to operationalize equity in the context of health sector reform.