The burden of trauma is increasingly becoming a national problem with the number of trauma patients increasing on a daily basis with severe complications and high mortality. Data from the National Road Safety Commission indicate that as many as 329,535 people died or were injured through Road Traffic Accident in Ghana between 1991 and 2014.

This constitutes a huge economic loss to the state due to the long duration of incapacitation suffered by these patients and the huge socio-economic consequences borne by their families and the state. Currently there are less than 50 practicing Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeons in the country who are active in selected facilities across the country. This gives a ratio of one surgeon to 600,000 (0.2/100,000) population as compared to WHO recommendation of 20:100,000 population. Currently the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS) admits 4 Trauma and Orthopaedic residents a year. There are less than 10 on-the-job trained Plaster Technicians working in three tertiary hospitals in the country. There is currently no training institution for this caliber of staff in the country.

The needs assessment indicates a huge gap to be filled by well-trained Para-clinical staff to manage this ever increasing injury burden in the country.
The Arbeitgemeinschaft fuer Osteosynthesis (AO) Alliance Foundation desires to support the country to improve the situation by;
1. Increasing the centers of specialist training from 1 to 4
2. Establishing a Trauma and Orthopaedic Technician School,
through the Ghana Country Initiative Project

The role of traditional bone setters cannot be ignored as these are providing some form of intervention for trauma and fracture patients. However, the dangers associated with this practice cannot be overemphasized as these bone setters are non-medical people who lack the skill and expertise to manage fractures safely leading in many instances to severe complications and permanent disability.

There is the need therefore to train Trauma and Orthopaedic Technicians (TOTs) who will be posted to the various health facilities to help reduce these disabilities and assist the Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeons in managing the huge numbers of trauma cases in the country