Community first responders: A missing key to reducing the impact of injury and illness in low- and middle-income countries in the Western Pacific?

The higher burdens of morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the Western Pacific Region (WPR) could be reduced if there were community first responders qualified in first aid and trained according to the local context. In the WPR, the leading causes of death of people aged 5–49 years are violence and injury, which claim the lives of 1 million people each year.1 Emerging data highlight the burden of violence and injury in the Region,1 but there are no reliable data to indicate the potential benefits of having community first responders. Community first responders might make a significant difference in the rates of mortality and morbidity associated with injury and with other health issues for which timely, effective first aid could help.