Citation

Ameratunga SN, Hyder AA, Sultana S. Salud Publica Mex. 2008; 50(Suppl 1): S115-7.

Affiliation

School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical&Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. s.ameratunga@auckland.ac.nz

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

18373002

Abstract

Available evidence provides a strong case for injury prevention in any child survival strategy. But whether this evidence informs priority-setting in child health programs or research is highly questionable. Injuries are a leading cause of death and disability among children after the first year of life. About 98% of these deaths are estimated to occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where injury prevention is an emerging field. Children warrant special consideration when addressing almost any type of injury as they are more vulnerable to forces on their body relative to adults, typically live in a world designed for adults, and are often unable to judge or circumvent the dangers inherent in many hazardous situations. Unsurprisingly, children from poor families are more exposed to unsafe environments and are disproportionately affected by injuries in most countries. In A World Fit for Children -- the outcome of a special session on children held by the UN General Assembly in 2002 -- the Plan of Action specifically charged the global community to "reduce child injuries due to accidents or other causes through development and implementation of appropriate preventive measures". Despite the acknowledged scale of the problem, global attention to childhood injuries in terms of public policies and resource investments remains disappointingly sluggish.

Language: en