S-1990-01-2006_OVE
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Handbook of WMA Policies
World Medical Association S-1990-01-2006
WMA STATEMENT
ON
INJURY CONTROL
Adopted by the 42nd
World Medical Assembly, Rancho Mirage, CA., USA, October 1990
and revised by the 57th
WMA General Assembly, Pilanesberg, South Africa, October 2006
Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in children and young adults. Injuries
destroy the health, lives and livelihoods of millions of people each year. Yet many injuries
are preventable. Injury control should be recognized as a public health priority requiring
coordination among health, transportation and social service agencies in each country.
Physician participation and leadership is necessary to assure the success of such injury
control programmes.
The World Medical Association urges National Medical Associations to work with
appropriate public and private agencies to develop and implement programmes to prevent
and treat injuries. Included in the programmes must be efforts to improve medical treatment
and rehabilitation of injured patients. Research and education on injury control must be
increased, and international cooperation is a vital and necessary component of successful
programmes.
National Medical Associations should recommend that the following basic elements be
incorporated in their countries’ programmes:
EPIDEMIOLOGY
The initial activity of such programmes must be the acquisition of more adequate data on
which to base priorities, interventions and research. An effective injury surveillance system
should be implemented in each country to gather and integrate information. A consistent
and accurate system for coding injuries must be implemented by hospitals and health
agencies. There should also be uniform coding of injury severity.
PREVENTION
Injury prevention requires education and training to teach and persuade people to alter their
behaviour and thereby control their risk of injury. Laws and regulations based on
scientifically sound methods of preventing injuries may be appropriate for effecting
changes in behaviour (for example, the use of seatbelts and protective helmets). These laws
must be strictly enforced in order to effectively influence behaviour changes.
Improvements in product and environmental design of various products to provide
automatic protection against injuries must be encouraged, as they will be the most effective
means of preventing injuries. Implementing a reporting system to encourage learning from
mistakes could also be beneficial in preventing future injuries.
S-1990-01-2006 Pilanesberg
Injury Control
BIOMECHANICS
Biomedical research on injury causation and prevention should be given priority. A better
understanding of the biomechanics of injury and disability could enable the development
of improved protection for humans. Regulations pertaining to product design must
incorporate product safety standards developed from an improved understanding of the
biomechanics of injury.
TREATMENT
Injury management at the scene of the occurrence must be enhanced by an effective system
of communication with medical practitioners, to facilitate decision-making. Rapid and safe
transportation to the hospital should be provided. An experienced team of trauma
practitioners should be available at the hospital. There should also be adequate equipment
and supplies available for the care of the injured patient, including immediate access to a
blood bank. Education and training of medical practitioners in trauma care must be
encouraged to assure optimal technique by an adequate number of physicians at all times.
REHABILITATION
Trauma victims need continuity of care emphasizing not only survival but also the
identification and preservation of residual functions. Rehabilitation to restore biological,
psychological and social functions must be undertaken in an effort to allow the injured
person to achieve maximal personal autonomy and an independent lifestyle. Where
feasible, com-munity integration is a desirable goal for people chronically disabled by
injury. Rehabilitation may also require changes in the patient’s physical and social
environment.