Step safely: strategies for preventing and managing falls across the life-course

Falls take the lives of 684 000 people each year. Beyond the death toll, 172 million more people experience disabilities arising from a fall each year. Falls are not only a significant global public health problem – they are a rapidly growing one. Fall-related deaths have risen far faster than any other type of injury over the last two decades. Many factors account for this increase – ageing populations and patterns of urbanization chief among them.

The Step Safely technical package provides concrete recommendations for evidence-based strategies to prevent and manage falls for children and adolescents, workers, and older people. Among others, effective prevention measures include parenting programmes for low-income and marginalized families, stricter worker safety regulations, and strength and balance training for older people. Preventing falls can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals linked to health and well-being, decent work, and safe, inclusive cities. The global community should actively look for opportunities to reduce the growing harm, suffering and loss that result from falls.

WHO commissioned researchers from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Injury Prevention and Trauma Care at The George Institute for Global Health and UNSW School of Population Health to conduct a review of high-quality global evidence on falls prevention for Step Safely. The resulting Evidence Synthesis report describes the rapid evidence review process undertaken to identify and quality appraise relevant studies, and assess the level of evidence to support various falls prevention strategies for five key population groups:

1. Children and adolescents
2. People in occupational settings
3. Community dwelling older adults
4. Older people living in residential care facilities
5. Older people receiving care in hospitals 

The Evidence Synthesis report is available at: https://www.georgeinstitute.org/preventing-and-managing-falls-across-the-life-course