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The question of which group should be the leaders in injury prevention and control is one that raises important issues. The argument of this Dissent is that looking for a group to act as general leaders narrows our frame of reference and may well move us away from the practice and the forms of analysis that have been important in previous success in preventing injury.
Thinking of physicians trained in public health as the leadership group in injury confuses the concept of a leadership role with that of the leadership role. It also mixes the argument that physicians should increase their involvement in injury prevention and take a greater leadership role with the idea that that role should be pre-eminent.
What constitutes leadership in injury prevention?
If the challenge is to increase effective action on injury prevention what qualities in leadership are required to meet this challenge?
A primary requirement in leadership is drive and determination. A person who is not interested will not act. But motivation can come from many causes, social concern, commercial necessity, as well as professional interest, and the list of those with an actual or potential interest in injury prevention is long.
Leadership also needs direction. Effort must be directed at issues of moment in a way …