Children in Wales welcomes two reports, issued by the World Health Organisation today, highlighting the enormous loss to society caused by childhood injuries. The reports, which concern childhood injury in Europe and worldwide, also show how such injuries could be prevented by addressing the underlying risk factors. The leading causes of injury death in Europe are road traffic, drowning, poisoning, falls and fires, with boys suffering three out of four injury deaths.
The report highlights not only the huge cost to families and society from accidental injury of children and young people, but also how cost effective injury prevention measures are. For each pound invested in smoke alarms the estimated saving to society is £69, while every pound spent on prevention advice from practitioners saves society £10.
In Wales an average of 47 children die each year from unintentional injuries and over 145,000 attend A & E. Children in Wales is working towards reducing the number of injuries in Wales and consulted on a Child Safety Action plan during summer 2008. This plan contains a number of recommendations aimed at addressing the causes of injury in Wales, which are now being taken to the Welsh Assembly Government.
Karen McFarlane, Child Safety Development Officer at Children in Wales said "In Wales we have seen a substantial reduction in the numbers of road injuries in recent years, however the number of injuries in the home remain static. The majority of these injuries are preventable and one of our recommendations is investing in advice for parents about how to prevent these accidents. This report backs up the significant impact that these services could have."
Notes:
1. Children in Wales is the national umbrella organisation for voluntary, statutory and professional organisations and individuals who work with children and young people in Wales. Children in Wales was established in March 1992 and became a registered charity in 1993. It aims to promote the interests of children, to improve services in Wales and to put children high on the Welsh agenda. We work closely with our members who comprise professionals, policy makers and consumer groups to improve the lives of all children living in Wales, but especially young children, those affected by family instability, children with special needs or disabilities, and those suffering the effects of poverty and deprivation. We collect and disseminate information about children and promote good practice in children's services through research, policy and practice development, publications, conferences, seminars, training and access to an extensive library and information service. Children in Wales has offices in Cardiff and Caernarfon.
2. Links to the World Health Organisations reports "European report on child injury prevention" and "World report on child injury prevention" are available on Children in Wales’ website: www.childreninwales.org.uk/areasofwork/childsafety
3. Children in Wales has developed "Towards a Child Safety Action Plan for Wales". The work has been supported by the Collaboration for Accident Prevention and Injury Control and the Child Accident Prevention Trust and ROSPA. The project is funded by Health Challenge Wales, Welsh Assembly Government. The plan, Towards a Child safety Action Plan for Wales, can be downloaded from the Children in Wales website: www.childreninwales.org.uk/publications .
4. For further information regarding this press release contact Karen McFarlane : Children in Wales, 25 Windsor Place, Cardiff, Tel: 029 2034 2434, E-mail: Karen.mcfarlane@childreninwales.org.uk