Injury Prevention Research and Global Child Health

Abstract

Injuries are a leading cause of death and disability among children throughout the world. It is estimated that 735,500 children and teens younger than 20 years die from unintentional injuries annually. Although injuries are one of the most common causes of pediatric mortality globally, they do not affect all regions of the world equally. Low- and middle-income countries not only experience pediatric injuries at a much higher rate than high-income countries, but they also have greater total injury-related mortality and morbidity. An estimated 97% of all pediatric unintentional injury-related deaths occur in low-and middle-income countries. This chapter will describe the global public health burden and leading causes of unintentional injuries to children. We will also discuss the application of the public health approach and the principles of injury prevention to child injury. Best practices and case studies will be presented to highlight innovative research studies and evidence-based injury prevention strategies that have been implemented in low-, middle-, and high-income countries. The chapter closes with an overview of current research gaps and suggestions for advancing the field. This chapter will not discuss intentional injury specifically, which, in the editors’ assessment, deserves a detailed and comprehensive thesis— not achievable in a single chapter.