Preventing violence and reducing its impact: how development agencies can help

This week WHO and the Violence Prevention Alliance are releasing a new document Preventing violence and reducing its impact: how development agencies can help. Violence has rarely been considered a development issue. Yet, it seriously hampers the development of low- and middle-income countries. Targeted towards officials from development assistance agencies, United Nations organizations, governments and nongovernmental organizations, the new document highlights how the health, psycho-social, and economic consequences of violence impede development. It urges increased attention to and investment in violence prevention.

Every year, more than 1.6 million people die because of violence. Of these deaths, 90% occur in low- and middle income countries. This document focuses on self-directed and interpersonal violence, since these two forms of violence account for 54% and 35% of the global death toll due to violence respectively, whereas war and other forms of collective violence make up 11%. By contrast, a review of development agency web sites and documents suggests that, while interpersonal violence is clearly on their agenda, it is given a lower priority than collective violence and self-directed violence is almost entirely absent. Recent WHO projections show that deaths due to interpersonal violence will rank among the 20 leading causes of death, going from the 22nd leading cause of death in 2004 to the 16th in 2030. During the same time period, self-inflicted injuries will rise from the 16th to the 12th leading cause of death.  

The document identifies the gaps - and the many strengths - in current development agency violence prevention priorities and proposes a strengthened agenda for more effective violence prevention. This agenda is grounded in up-to-date research on violence prevention and on how violence hinders all aspects of development. It includes concrete recommendations based on scientifically credible interventions to prevent violence and reduce its consequences. It also puts forward concrete proposals to build up the institutional foundations necessary for violence prevention at both national and international levels.

This document is freely downloadable here or can be obtained in hard copy via the online order form. For further information please contact Dr Alex Butchart at butcharta@who.int or Dr Christopher Mikton (miktonc@who.int)

For further information on violence prevention, visit:

WHO violence prevention:
http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/en/

Violence Prevention Alliance:
http://www.who.int/violenceprevention/en/index.html

Global Campaign for Violence Prevention:
http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/global_campaign/en/index.html