World report on child injury prevention appeals to “Keep Kids Safe”

In December 2008, WHO and UNICEF released the World report on child injury prevention1 in Hanoi, Vietnam. This long awaited report, which has benefited from the contribution of over 180 participants from 56 countries, appeals to governments, practitioners, and parents alike to “Keep Kids Safe” by implementing known good practices. It proposes that, if a handful of these interventions were employed around the world, “more than 1000 children’s lives could be saved ever day”. Accompanied by an executive summary for policy-makers and a child-friendly version for children, this report aims to focus attention on the preventability of the problem and to generate action by stimulating follow-up discussions and country level plans.

The report focuses on unintentional injuries to children under the age of 18 years—specifically those related to road traffic crashes, drowning, burns, falls, and poisoning—and should be seen as a complement to the UN Secretary-General’s Study on Violence Against Children2 released in late 2006. The report begins by framing the issue of child injuries within the context of child survival …