Injuries are a major public health problem claiming more than 5 million lives every year and harming many millions more. It is caused by acute exposure to physical agents, such as mechanical energy, heat, electricity, chemicals and ionizing radiation.

Injuries, whether intentional (due to acts of violence against others or oneself) or unintentional (due to road traffic crashes, burns, drowning, falls and poisoning), claim more lives than malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS combined. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region the number of deaths in 2008 due to injuries was almost 445 000. Deaths, however, are only the tip of the iceberg.

Hundreds of thousands suffer non-fatal injuries that require different levels of care, such as hospitalization, emergency treatment and even care in the community, and may end in various forms of disabilities. Besides the devastating human toll, the socioeconomic implications cannot be overrated, rendering violence not only a public health problem but a development issue as well.

Burns

Drowning

Falls