Injury prevention and control: a handbook for undergraduate medical curriculum

Overview

The South-East Asia Region accounts for approximately one third of the global total number of injury-related deaths as well as the total disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost to injury. However, injury has long been a neglected public health problem in the Region.

Even though medical professionals have a critical role in treating trauma victims as well as promoting injury-prevention activities, it has been observed that the present medical and nursing curriculum in the Member States does not adequately cover violence and injury prevention. Consequently, several intercountry consultations were held to identified the gap regarding violence and injury prevention education, and the core areas for strengthening injury prevention and control (IPC) in medical and nursing education. Based on these findings, a group of experts prepared this handbook on injury prevention and control for use in undergraduate medical curricula, considering the core competencies required and the learning process needed to achieve the competencies. This handbook also describes the approaches for strengthening communication, counseling, and advocacy skills, which are especially critical for violence and injury prevention.