Design and Implementation of a Hospital-based Trauma Surveillance Registry in a Resource-Poor Setting: A Cost Analysis Study

•This is the first cost analysis of an in-hospital trauma registry in sub Saharan Africa•Start-up costs for the trauma registry are estimated at $3,196.24.•The total annual cost of the trauma registry at a tertiary hospital in Malawi is $33,361.64,•Unit costs $2.64 per patient registered in the registry in 2018•Trauma registries are necessary for the assessment of the local trauma burden and injury pattern but require significant financial commitment and time