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Notice to Readers: Publication of World Report on Child Injury Prevention
Child injuries are a growing global public health problem. Worldwide each year, approximately 10--30 million persons
aged <18 years are injured, and 875,000 die from their injuries
(1,2). Moreover, 95% of these injuries occur in low- and
middle-income countries (1). In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF) called for an expanded global effort to prevent child injury
(2).
On December 10, 2008, WHO and UNICEF released their
World Report on Child Injury Prevention. The report
examines the five major mechanisms of child injuries: road traffic injuries, drownings, burns, falls, and poisonings
(3). Each mechanism is reviewed according to its epidemiology, known risk factors, existing interventions and their effectiveness, and strategies
to
prevent or manage the particular type of injury. The report documents what is known about child and adolescent
injuries worldwide and how these injuries can be prevented.
In the United States each year, approximately 12,000 deaths and an estimated 9.2 million nonfatal unintentional injuries
are reported among persons aged <19 years
(4); unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among those aged 1--19
years (4,5). Creating a safe environment, adopting and enforcing stringent safety laws, improving product safety, educating
parents, and encouraging behavior change are all important in the prevention of injuries in children. Information regarding U.S.
data and efforts to prevent child injuries, including the CDC Childhood Injury Report, is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/safechild. Other tools at this site include fact sheets, podcasts, and state-specific data on the leading causes of child
and adolescent injury, and how these injuries can be prevented.
References
Mock C, Peden M, Hyder AA, Butchart A, Krug E. Child injuries and violence: the new challenge for child health. Bull World Health
Organ 2008;86:420.
World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund. Child and adolescent injury prevention: a global call to action. Geneva,
Switzerland: World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund; 2005. Available at
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2005/9241593415_eng.pdf.
CDC. CDC childhood injury report: patterns of unintentional injuries among 0--19 year olds in the United States, 2000--2006. Atlanta, GA:
US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2008.
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