Violence PreventionThe Public Health Response

Violence PreventionThe Public Health Response

Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain

Regional Advisor Health Promotion/Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability

World Health Organization, Regional Office for EMR

Inevitable or Preventable? Inevitable or Preventable?

ViolenceViolence

First comprehensive review of the problem on a global scale

Magnitude and impact

Key risk factors

Interventions and policy responses

Recommendations

World Report on Violence and Health

ViolenceViolence

CollectiveCollectiveInterpersonalInterpersonalSelf-directedSelf-directedSelf-directedSelf-directed

Typology of Violence

• 815,000 suicides

• 520,000 homicides

• 310,000 war deaths

• 815,000 suicides

• 520,000 homicides

• 310,000 war deaths

In the year 2000:In the year 2000:

Source: WHO database, 2000Source: WHO database, 2000

Numbers

MalariaMalaria

Traffic injuriesTraffic injuries

ViolenceViolenceTuberculosisTuberculosis

Global Estimated Deaths due to Selected Health Problems

2.94

1.66

1.65

1.25

1.08

0 1 2 3 4Millions of deaths per year

VIOLENCE IN PERSPECTIVE

HIV/AIDSHIV/AIDS

Estimated Mortality due to intentional Injury by age (000) in EMR year 2000

14

5

20

11

75

0-4

5/14

15-29

30-44

45-59

60 and above

Source: World Report on Violence and Health, WHO Geneva 2002

Public Health ApproachPublic Health Approach

SurveillanceWhat is the Problem?

Identify risk and protective factors

What are the causes?

ImplementationScaling up

effective policy and programmes

Develop andevaluate

interventionsWhat works and

for whom?

Why Public Health Approach?

Population-based

Emphasizes primary prevention

Multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral in nature

Scientific, evidence-based

Levels of prevention

IndividualRelationshipCommunitySocietal

Individual-level prevention

IndividualRelationshipCommunitySocietal

Solutions

Examples •Pre-school enrichment •Life skills training•Incentives to complete schooling•Vocational training

Relationship-level prevention

IndividualRelationshipCommunitySocietal

Solutions

Examples • Parenting programmes• Home visitation• Family therapy

Community-level prevention

IndividualRelationshipCommunitySocietal

Solutions

Examples• Reducing alcohol availability• Economic and social empowerment• Improve school settings• Improve emergency medical services

Societal-level prevention

IndividualRelationshipCommunitySocietal

Solutions

Examples• Reduce media violence• Strengthen police and judicial systems• Reduce poverty and inequality • Educational reform • Reduce access to lethal means• Job creation programmes

Preventing firearm-related deaths through regulatory reform, AustraliaPreventing firearm-related deaths through regulatory reform, Australia

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197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002year of death

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Regulations 1 1Regulations 2 2

Primary Prevention Works

10 “best buys” in violence prevention:

1. Increase safe, stable, and nurturing relationships between children and their parents

2. Reduce availability and misuse of alcohol

3. Reduce access to lethal means

4. Improve life skills and enhance opportunities for children and youth

10 “best buys” in violence prevention:

5. Promote gender equality & empower women

6. Change cultural norms that support violence

7. Improve criminal justice systems

8. Improve social welfare systems

9. Reduce social distance between conflicting groups

10. Reduce economic inequality & concentrated poverty

Thank you !