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Wound caused by firearms - Unveiling the human face of the wounds caused by firearms"
Small Arms Research Project - Epidemiological Issues
El Salvador
Why we decided to undertake Research
El Salvador has a lot of information about injury and mortality due to small arms, but there is no information about morbility. In 1999-2000 MESARES developed a research project investigating small arms infjuries that included reviewing the patient records. We identified a deficiency in collecting data at the hospital, especially among physicians and medical students. Therefore, we decided to promote research to understand victims and to allow us to design strategies to prevent violence and provide appropriate treatment to victims and their families.

Activities:
    • Training medical students to do field-research
    • Establishing contact with experts on these issues
    • Collecting data in the field
    • Data processing
    • Conferences : "Violence and Small Arms"

Some of the results:

Out of the 100 gun-shot patients sampled from 2003 until May 2004:

91% were male, 9% female

16%  carried a gun, 84% did not

22% knew their aggressor, 78% did not

7% were shot accidentally

4% tried to commit suicide

35% were victims of delinquency

29% were involved inc onflicts

 5% were hit by a stray bullet

 20% were struck due to unkown causes


          Public awareness campaigns:


Small Arms & Light  Weapons Impact on Public Health Class for Medical Students at  Nacional University of El Salvador .

 

Last Saturday 27th. May  Dr. Emperatriz Crespin address a class for Medical Students at the national university of El Salvador , increasing awarness about the small arms proliferation and misuse , also it was established the impact on public health, survivors assistance and the costs and limitations for human development in the region.


COLLECTING FACES FOR THE MILLION FACES CAMPAIGN


Last Friday 26th. May Medical Students of IPPNW carried out a campaign in order to collect faces for the MILLION FACES CAMPAIGN AGAINST SMALL ARMS


Aikido against Small Arms

The medicals Students Chapters of IPPNW El Salvador Collect faces


26th of May 2006 meeting at the national congress in order to talk about Small Arms and Light Weapons Laws control and try to advocate for more control since the congress..

From left to right: Dr. Jairo Guerra , Dra. Emperatriz Crespin (Public Health Network of IANSA), Sr. Martin Nuñez (FMLN Representative at national congress of EL SALVADOR)
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