Regional overview of child injuries Joanne Vincenten European Child Safety Alliance, EuroSafe EURO Regional Consultation

1. Regional overview of child injuries Joanne Vincenten European Child Safety Alliance, EuroSafe EURO Regional Consultation to discuss the World Report on child and adolescent injury prevention July 2-3, 2007 Amsterdam, The Netherlands Why isn’t more injury prevention evidence-based? Morag MacKayEuropean Child Safety Alliance, EuroSafe Workshop : Can research ever get into the policy-making machine?European Public Health Conference Lodz, Poland November27, 2009

2. Comparison of unintentional injury death rates in European region (Average standardised mortality rates for all unintentional injuries in children aged 0-19 years in the WHO European Region, 3 year average for 2003-2005 or most recent three year period)

3. But injury is a major health problem that is preventable…we have many proven solutions! • Environment and product modification • Legislation, regulation and enforcement • Promoting use of safety devices • Community interventions • Education and skills development

4. Potential for annual lives saved in children and adolescents in participating child safety action plan countries

5. “I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act.” Bill Gates Founder of Microsoft

6. The Great Divide RESEARCH POLICY

7. On the research side… • There is a gap between demonstrating that a strategy works and understanding the details of why and how it worked in a given setting • The evidence currently produced is typically not sufficient – it does not meet all policy needs • The communication of the evidence is not in a form useful to policy makers

8. On the policy side… • The policy development environment is not straight forward • There are competing priorities and competing views • Leadership, infrastructure and capacity may not support an evidence-based approach • There may not be a willingness to change

9. There is progress… RESEARCH POLICY

10. Child resistant lighters

11. Fire safe cigarettes

12. Experience…negative and positive • Slow and difficult process • Researchers do not have all the answers that policy makers want • Sometimes easier for policy makers to stay with status quo or invest in ineffective practice • Communication is key! • Understanding the policy environment informs effective communication • Effective advocacy tools and finding the right messenger increase success • Help find a win-win

13. Real solutions to meeting in the middle RESEARCH POLICY

14. Better data • Demonstration research and/orcase studies • Cost effectiveness studies • Include policy development and evaluation as part of research training • Change system drivers to reward evidence-based policy • Include research training for policy makers and those who will implement Research Policy

15. Thank you Tel: + 31 20 511 4513Fax: + 31 20 511 4510 www.childsafetyeurope.org secretariat@childsafetyeurope.org