Every year, unintentional injuries kill nearly 42,000 children and young
people under the age of 20 in the WHO European Region. Injuries are the
leading cause of death among those aged 5-19 years, and 5 out of 6 of
these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Irrespective of
country income, the burden falls disproportionately on children from the
most disadvantaged groups.
This report, companion to the World Report on Child Injury Prevention,
presents the evidence on both the great potential for injury prevention
and the effectiveness and value for money of measures already in use in
European countries with low injury mortality. It shows why health
systems and particularly programs for child health throughout the WHO
European Region should give priority to preventing and controlling child
injury.