SEATTLE, Washington – Injuries, occupational exposures, and environmental risks account for over 12 million deaths per year, with the majority of those deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). According to new findings presented in the latest volume of Disease Control Priorities, 3rd Edition (DCP3) on Injury Prevention and Environmental Health, over 7.5 million of these deaths could be averted annually with better implementation of effective interventions and policies that address this large burden.
Dr. Olive Kobusingye, volume editor and Accident and Emergency Surgeon at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda says, “We present a robust package of multi-sectoral policies and population-based approaches that are feasible and affordable and could significantly reduce mortality in low-income settings.”
Published by the World Bank Group, the DCP3 Injury Prevention and Environmental Health volume identifies essential prevention strategies and related policies that address substantial population health needs. Risk from injury, occupation, air pollution, unclean water, and poor sanitation are highlighted and interventions to confront these risks are included in DCP3’s essential packages for injury and occupational health, and environmental health. The packages emphasize the importance of cost-effective and cost-beneficial strategies to address common causes of injury and environmental risks.
Dr. Charles Mock, lead volume editor and Professor of Surgery at the University of Washington hopes that this volume will bring more awareness to the unmet needs of people affected by injury and environmental factors, particularly those living in low- and middle-income countries.
“Inadequate attention has been given to these conditions which represent a major global health problem,” says Dr. Mock. “Understanding the relatively predictable patterns of these disorders and risk factors can assist the global health community with planning robust prevention efforts. We saw considerable improvements in access to clean water and sanitation when this issue was included in the 2000 Millennium Development Goals. Those efforts should expand to other environmental and safety risks.”
The volume is available now open access on the World Bank’s Open Knowledge Repository and on the DCP3website. The full DCP3 series is comprised of nine individual volumes that are being published between 2015 - 2018. For more information or to download chapters, visit www.dcp-3.org and follow DCP3 on Twitter using @DCPthree and #DCP3.