Dear HIFA colleagues,
Traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury are major public health concerns, yet prevention often receives less attention than acute treatment and rehabilitation.
As a neurosurgeon and researcher with an interest in neurotrauma prevention, I would like to open a discussion on how access to reliable, understandable and actionable health information can contribute to preventing these injuries, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Prevention requires more than clinical knowledge. It involves road safety, helmet use, fall prevention, child safety, violence prevention, public education and policies informed by evidence. However, we need to understand what information communities actually need, whether they can access it, and how effectively it translates into preventive action.
I would welcome contributions from healthcare professionals, researchers, educators, policymakers, community health workers, patients and family members.
I invite colleagues to consider four questions:
1. What are the most important information gaps affecting neurotrauma prevention in your country or community?
2. Which educational or community-based strategies have successfully changed preventive behaviours?
3. How can reliable prevention information reach underserved populations, including rural communities and people with limited internet access?
4. What practical actions could HIFA members take collectively to improve access to neurotrauma prevention information?
My hope is that this discussion will help identify shared priorities and opportunities for international collaboration.
I look forward to learning from your experiences.
Kind regards,
Luis Rafael Moscote-Salazar, MD
HIFA profile: Luis Rafael Moscote-Salazar is a Researcher at AV Healthcare Innovators LLC, United States. Professional interests: Scientific Literacy; Ethics in clinical trials; Scientific integrity; Prevention in neurotrauma. Email: rafaelmoscote21 AT gmail.com