• evidence based policy
• local strategy
• national strategy
• implementation

A 1996 World Health Organisation report, Investing in Health Research and Development, warns that worldwide, “the epidemic of injuries may be among the most neglected health problems of the late 20th century”.¹ We see evidence of this neglect in investment in injury research, and in the paucity of evaluated studies on injury prevention for children and young people. More neglected still, is a concerted attempt to implement established interventions at national and local levels throughout the UK.

The path to implementation is broken too often. In this chapter we explore the barriers and opportunities in the UK for implementing injury prevention for this age group in a more widespread and systematic manner. We first examine the picture of injury prevention at national and local levels. This leads to the conclusion that there would be significant benefits from having national lead agencies for this problem along with improved local coordination. To this end we look at:

• Strategy development at national and local levels.

• Capacity building.

• Methods to bridge the gap between research and practice.

• Multiagency or health alliances.

• The need for good data.

Three examples are then presented. The first examines the scope for injury prevention in the primary health care setting. It focuses on an individual approach to children, young people and their families, and represents a possible opportunity for health promotion. The other examples both involve multiagency approaches. Example two is a multiagency programme to promote cycle helmet use. Example three documents the use of a Safe Community approach.