INJURIES VIOLENCE

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THE FACTS

The scale of the problem

About 5.8 million people die each year as a result of injuries. This accounts for 10%
of the world’s deaths, 32% more than the number of fatalities that result from
malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS combined.

7 Deaths per year

(millions)
6

0
Injury HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria

Source: Global burden of disease, 2004

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THE FACTS

How injuries claim lives

Nearly one third of the 5.8 million deaths from injuries are the result of violence
- suicide, homicide and war - and nearly one quarter are the result of road traffic
crashes. Other main causes of death from injuries are falls, drowning, burns and
poisoning.

*‘Other’ includes smothering, asphyxiation, choking, animal and venomous bites, hypothermia and
hyperthermia, as well as natural disasters.

Source: Global burden of disease, 2004

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THE FACTS

Injury deaths rise in rank

Injuries are a growing problem: the three leading causes of death globally from
injuries – road traffic crashes, homicide and suicide – are all predicted to rise in rank
compared to other causes of death, placing them among the top 20 leading causes
of death in the world by 2030. Road traffic crashes are predicted to become the fifth
leading cause of death by 2030, with suicide and homicide rising to become the 12th
and 18th leading causes of death respectively.

Total 2004 Total 2030

1 Ischaemic heart disease 1 Ischaemic heart disease
2 Cerebrovascular disease 2 Cerebrovascular disease
3 Lower respiratory infections Chronic obstructive
3
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
4
pulmonary disease 4 Lower respiratory infections
5 Diarrhoeal diseases 5 Road traffic crashes
6 HIV/AIDS 6 Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers
7 Tuberculosis 7 Diabetes mellitus
8 Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers 8 Hypertensive heart disease
9 Road traffic crashes 9 Stomach cancer
10 Prematurity and low birth weight HIV/AIDS
11 Neonatal infections and other Nephritis and nephrosis
12 Diabetes mellitus Suicide
13 Malaria Liver cancer
14 Hypertensive heart disease Colon and rectum cancer
15 Birth asphyxia and birth trauma Oesuphagus cancer
16 Suicide Homicide
17 Stomach cancer Alzheimer and other dementias
18 Cirrhosis of the liver Cirrhosis of the liver
19 Nephritis and nephrosis Breast cancer
20 Colon and rectum cancers Tuberculosis

22 Homicide

Source: World health statistics 2008 (www.who.int/whosis/whostat/2008/en/index.html)

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Injuries are a leading killer of youth
Injuries affect all age groups but have a particular impact on young people.
THE FACTS
For people between the ages of 5 and 44 years, injuries are one of the top three causes of death.
0-4 5-14 15-29 30-44 45-59 60-69 70-79 80+ All ages
Lower respiratory Ischaemic Ischaemic heart Ischaemic heart Ischaemic heart Ischaemic heart
Perinatal causes Road traffic injuries HIV/AIDS
1 infections heart disease disease disease disease disease
3 180 174 335 805 958 851
224 308 1 101 400 1 524 131 2 174 957 2 072 949 7 198 257
Lower respiratory Cerebrovascular Cerebrovascular Cerebrovascular Cerebrovascular Cerebrovascular
Road traffic injuries HIV/AIDS Tuberculosis
2 infections disease disease disease disease disease
109 905 333 953 367 837
1 755 385 678 971 1 099 231 1 860 743 1 864 012 5 712 241
Chronic obstructive Chronic obstructive Chronic obstructive Lower respiratory
Diarrhoeal diseases Malaria Tuberculosis Road traffic injuries HIV/AIDS
3 pulmonary disease pulmonary disease pulmonary disease infections
1 716 410 103 738 249 023 329 142 395 052
631 369 1 060 089 960 598 4 109 354
Ischaemic heart Lower respiratory Lower respiratory Lower respiratory
Malaria Drowning Homicide Tuberculosis Perinatal causes
4 disease infections infections infections
828 666 77 117 238 003 359 282 3 180 421
255 842 397 922 548 203 674 079
Chronic obstructive Trachea, bronchus, Trachea, bronchus, Alzheimer and Chronic obstructive
Measles Meningitis Suicide Suicide
5 pulmonary disease lung cancers lung cancers other dementias pulmonary disease
396 072 63 755 230 979 219 557
332 183 382 816 421 150 318 868 3 024 912
Lower respiratory Trachea, bronchus, Hypertensive
Congenital anomalies Diarrhoeal diseases Homicide Diabetes mellitus Diabetes mellitus Diarrhoeal diseases
6 infections lung cancers heart disease
370 785 57 716 179 916 274 630 342 482 2 127 154
122 707 279 897 311 973
Lower respiratory Hypertensive
HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS Drowning Cirrhosis of the liver Tuberculosis Diabetes mellitus HIV/AIDS
7 infections heart disease
258 861 43 118 89 434 261 132 215 416 246 218 2 039 727
154 950 300 088
Cerebrovascular Hypertensive heart Trachea, bronchus,
Whooping cough Tuberculosis Fire-related burns Road traffic injuries Stomach cancer Tuberculosis
8 disease disease lung cancers
254 314 38 074 84 983 238 852 231 723 1 463 792
147 224 193 316 185 916
Protein-energy Lower respiratory Colon and Nephritis and Trachea, bronchus,
Meningitis War-related injuries Cirrhosis of the liver Stomach cancer
9 malnutrition infections rectum cancers nephrosis lung cancers
156 304 66 319 101 593 192 172
36 232 231 801 190 792 172 709 1 323 218

Source: Global burden of disease, 2004 update.

Maternal Nephritis and Colon and
Tetanus Fire-related burns Poisoning Diabetes mellitus Cirrhosis of the liver Road traffic injuries
10 haemorrhage nephrosis rectum cancers
144 325 26 703 87 576 207 605 170 763 1 274 845
65 077 170 653 162 987
Protein-energy Ischaemic heart
Measles Maternal haemorrhage Suicide Liver cancer Liver cancer Stomach cancer Diabetes mellitus
11 malnutrition disease
24 202 71 774 183 582 155 697 157 901 148 299 1 140 881
135 517 59 102
Inflammatory
Syphilis Leukaemia Poisoning Fire-related burns Stomach cancer Oesophagus cancer Oesophagus cancer Malaria
12 heart diseases
63 875 20 861 55 139 67 338 176 110 147 747 146 484 1 021 028
122 263
Nephritis and Colon and Hypertensive
Drowning Congenital anomalies Abortion Liver cancer Tuberculosis Prostate cancer
13 nephrosis rectum cancers heart disease
58 467 19942 46 335 166 012 142 380 109 217
66 145 137 515 986 560
Nephritis and Alzheimer and other
Road traffic injuries Trypanosomiasis Leukaemia Drowning Breast cancer Falls Suicide
14 nephrosis dementias
56 778 18 583 44 388 62 683 163 505 100 954 844 460
134 522 138 409
Cerebrovascular Hypertensive
Fire-related burns Falls Breast cancer Breast cancer Cirrhosis of the liver Breast cancer Stomach cancer
15 disease heart disease
46 656 17 862 57 370 113 698 131 267 80 322 803 095
40 827 136 806
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THE FACTS

The injury pyramid

The millions of deaths that result from injuries represent only a small fraction of those
injured. Tens of millions of people suffer injuries that lead to hospitalization, emergency
department or general practitioner treatment, or treatment that does not involve formal
medical care. The relative numbers of fatal and non-fatal injuries are often graphically
depicted in the form of a pyramid. In addition to the severity of an injury, there are a
number of factors that vary by country and that determine the “shape” of the pyramid,
such as access to health care services, or the quality of the data available.

Fatal
injuries

Injuries resulting
in hospitalizations

Injuries resulting
in visits to emergency departments

Injuries resulting in visits

to primary care facilities

Injuries treated outside the health

system, not treated, or not reported
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THE FACTS

Injury and violence kill more men than women

Almost twice as many men as women die as a result of injuries and violence each year.
The three leading causes of death from injuries for men are road traffic injuries, suicide
and homicide, while leading causes for women are road traffic injuries, suicide, and fire-
related burns. For each type of injury (except those resulting from fires), death rates are
higher for men than for women.

Death rates per

100 000 population

Source: Global burden of disease, 2004