Book excerpt: "Injury accounts for a significant proportion of the world's burden of disease. Each year 5.8 million people die from injury and millions more are disabled. The response to this global health problem needs to include a range of activities, from better surveillance to more in-depth research, and primary prevention. Also needed are efforts to strengthen care of the injured. The World Health Organization (WHO) has responded to this need with a variety of actions. It has supported countries in setting up trauma care programmes and in developing their capacity to care for the injured. It has also developed, in consultation with global experts, guidelines to assist with the organization and planning of trauma care, such as Prehospital trauma care systems, Guidelines for essential trauma care, and Guidelines for trauma quality improvement programmes. These publications have been used in many countries and have helped to stimulate 'on the ground' improvements and policy changes. Through this publication, WHO seeks to increase communication and the exchange of ideas among those working in the field of trauma care, whether in the prehospital setting, in acute care in hospitals, or in longer term rehabilitation; to increase communication among those involved in planning, administering, advocating for, or directly providing trauma care services; and to increase communication among those working in the field of trauma care in different countries worldwide." - p. iii.