Violence and injuries in Europe: burden, prevention and priorities for action

Overview

The WHO Global Health Estimates show that nearly half a million deaths (‎493 471)‎ occurred in the WHO European Region due to violence and injuries in 2016. This represents a decline of 29% from 2000. Injuries account for 5.3% of all deaths and 9.6 of all years of life lost. They are a leading cause of death in people aged 15–29 years and the second leading cause of death for young people aged 5–14. The three leading causes of injury deaths are self-directed violence (‎141 089)‎, falls (‎83 325)‎ and road-traffic injuries (‎78 198)‎. Inequalities in injury deaths exist in the Region, with mortality rates 2.4 times higher in males than in females and 1.5 times higher in middle-income compared to high-income countries. When all ages are considered, there has been a convergence in mortality since 2000 between middle-income and high-income countries, but the gap has widened for children under 15 years. Public health action is needed to reduce inequalities in injuries in the Region.