Road Traffic Injuries Research Network establishes secretariat in Sri Lanka
4 JANUARY 2006 -- In early January, the Secretariat of the Road Traffic Injuries Research Network (RTIRN) was launched in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The establishment of the Secretariat in Sri Lanka, hosted by the University of Peradeniya, is a response to both the growing burden of road traffic injuries in low-income and middle-income countries, and the need to identify effective intervention strategies that are of specific relevance to the traffic conditions prevalent in these settings. Representatives of WHO, the Global Forum for Health Research, the University of Peradeniya and the Government of Sri Lanka, together with members of the RTIRN Board, participated in the launch ceremony. The following day a research skills building workshop was held for local and regional road traffic injury researchers from eight South-East Asian countries. The RTIRN is a global partnership to promote, conduct and utilize research for the prevention and control of road traffic injuries in low-income and middle-income countries. The Network is supported by WHO, the Global Forum for Health Research, the World Bank and The George Institute for International Health.