Injury prevention and safety promotion -> Background information

This section was established in 2006 in Montreux.

In March 2013, the Steering Committee of this section was established.

Injuries (including both unintentional ones and violence) are a major threat to life and health in many parts of the world. In the WHO European region injuries are the third leading cause of death. The region has some of the highest and lowest injury mortality rates in the world. Furthermore, the burden is unequally distributed both between and within countries.

Therefore, the World Health Organization and the European Commission have recognized injury prevention and safety promotion as a major priority and have developed policy frameworks, action plans and public health programs in order to strengthen injury and violence prevention activities within the region. This has led to the European Commission’s initiative to have a Communication on “Actions for a Safer Europe” and in a proposal for a “Council Recommendation on the prevention of injuries and the promotion of safety”. Both documents have been adopted by the Commission in June 2006. There also exists the World Health Organization European Region’s Resolution on Injury Prevention in the Region (RC55/R9).

Injury prevention and safety promotion section works closely with the European Association for Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion (EuroSafe) and other organizations to increase the health and wellbeing by providing expertise and stimulating activities to prevent injuries.

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