WHO Violence & Injury Prevention
Injuries constitute a major public health problem, killing more than 5 million people per year, and harming many millions more. Yet events which result in injury are not random or unpredictable. The causes of injuries can be studied and acted upon; injuries can be prevented.
The World Health Organization's Department of Injuries and Violence Prevention (WHO VIP) works to prevent injuries and violence, to mitigate their consequences, and to enhance the quality of life for persons with disabilities irrespective of the causes.
Two major campaigns were successfully launched by WHO VIP in the past years, the Global Campaign for Violence Prevention and Global Campaign for Road Traffic Prevention. The next campaign theme is Child Injury Prevention. Please find more information on WHO Violence and Injury Prevention activities here.
The KfV has ongoing collaborations, such as organising the 7th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion in Vienna in June 2004.
World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
Violence and unintentional injury cause every year a significant amount of deaths, human suffering and disability in the European Region, accounting for about 800,000 deaths (10% of all deaths) and 14% of all disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).
In Europe, WHO advocates to reduce violence and unintentional injury by promoting a public health approach that is based on evidence and on multi-sectoral cooperation. WHO also supports Member States by:
- providing data on the burden of injuries and evidence of what works for prevention;
- helping Member States improve their capacity to strengthen prevention; and
- facilitating the sharing of knowledge about prevention strategies that have proven effective.
Three leading causes account for nearly 50% of all deaths from violence and unintentional injury (800,000 every year) in the European Region:
- suicide (ca. 164,000 deaths/year);
- road traffic injuries (ca. 127,000 deaths/year); and
- poisoning (ca. 110,000 deaths/year).
A significant political achievement of WHO Europe is the passing of the WHO Resolution ‘Injuries in the WHO European Region: burden, challenges and policy response, 2005 (RC55). This resolution outlines the actions needed to decrease the burden from injuries in Europe.
The KfV has been designated by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health as the WHO Focal Point for Injury Prevention and Violence in Austria.
In this role we have agreed to:
- facilitate the exchange of relevant information and experiences across the Region,
- strengthen the regional and national capacity to advocate for injury prevention, promote evidence-based preventive strategies and develop cross-sectoral partnerships, and
- support for the EUR 55 Resolution
