Monitoring violence and injuries

Violence and injuries are the leading cause of death in the Western Pacific Region for ages 5-49 years and responsible for almost 1 million deaths annually. Deaths from violence and injuries are just the tip of the iceberg. Tens of millions of non-fatal injuries occur, covering the full spectrum of severity and requiring various degrees of care and treatment, presenting an enormous cost to national health systems and economies.

The following Global and Regional Frameworks guide WHO Western Pacific Regional Office’s work to help countries prevent and respond to violence and injuries:

• The Sustainable Development Goals, particularly targets 3.2, 3.6, 5.2, 11.2, 16.1 and 16.2.
• The Regional Action Plan for Violence and Injury Prevention in the Western Pacific 2016-2020.
• UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2010-2020.
• The Global Plan of Action to strengthen the role of the health system within a multisectoral response to address interpersonal violence, in particular against women and girls and against children.
• WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work.

WHO Western Pacific Regional Office supports countries in the dissemination and implementation of WHO’s technical guidance and monitors progress, documenting the regional magnitude and national response, through a series of status reports on road safety, interpersonal violence and drowning.