EU Public Health Programme
The Public Health Programme 2003-2008 of the European Commission is a key strategic tool for the development of health policy within the Community. The programme provides the means to support actions in those areas where the Community can make a real difference. The Public Health Programme has three priority objectives:
- Health Information: To improve information and knowledge for the development of public health
- Health Threats: To enhance the capability of responding rapidly and in a coordinated fashion to threats to health
- Health Determinants: To promote health and prevent disease through addressing health determinants across all policies and activities.
The injury prevention activities are mainly located within the Health Information and the Health Determinants Strand. Examples of current projects are:
- IDB - EU Injury Database (Health Information; coordinated by KfV)
- CSAP - Child Safety Action Programme (Health Determinants; coordinated by the Consumer Safety Institute, Amsterdam)
- EUNESE - European Network for Safety among Elderly (Health Determinants; coordinated by the University of Athens)
Working Party on Accidents and Injuries (WP-AI)
The Working Party on Accidents and Injuries (WP-AI) was established in November 2003 for the duration of the Public Health Programme (2003-2008) of the European Commission and activities are linked to the Health Information Strand and Health Determinants Strand. Members of the WP-AI are comprised of public health professionals, national data administrators, contract holders of EU granted projects and relevant stakeholders from the European Union.
The role of the WP-AI is to provide a forum for discussion and exchange of information and experience on injury prevention, thus contributing to the improvement and promotion of good health in the European Union. Moreover, it provides advice and support to the European Commission in identifying the needs and priorities to be addressed as well as for the development of effective injury prevention interventions. In addition, the WP-AI contributes to the development of a sustainable injury surveillance system (Injury Database) of data collection, analysis, interpretation and diffusion of information.
The Vision of the Working Party on Accidents and Injuries is to reduce all fatal and non-fatal injuries year on year to ensure that the European Union becomes a safer place to live in.
To work towards this vision, the following three components have been identified by the Working Party on Accidents and Injuries as key factors for success:
- To optimise the use of the comprehensive information system on accidents and injuries in order to advocate, quantify the problems, identifying risk factors and monitoring the effectiveness of interventions.
- To focus resources and efforts in five key areas in accidents and injuries (accidents in childhood and adolescence; injuries related to vulnerable road users; falls among the elderly; selfharm and suicide; physical violence) in order to address the greatest injury burdens in a coordinated approach.
- To implement injury prevention and safety promotion evidence-based strategies in all Member States in order to effectively reduce injuries in Europe.
The KfV is an active member of the Working Party on Accidents and Injuries to provide the Austrian contribution for a safe Europe.
