Injuries: a call for public health action in Europe: an update using the 2015 WHO global health estimates

ABSTRACT

The WHO global health estimates show that 530 000 deaths occurred in the WHO European Region due to injuries and violence in 2015. This represents a decline of 29% from 2000. Injuries account for 5.7% of all deaths and 9.4% of all disability-adjusted life-years lost, and are a leading cause of death in people aged 5–49 years. The three leading causes of injury deaths are self-directed violence (128 000), falls (94 000) and road traffic injuries (80 000). Inequalities in injury deaths exist in the Region, with mortality rates 2.5 times higher in males than in females and 1.7 times higher in middle-income compared to high-income countries. When all ages are considered, there has been a convergence in mortality since 2000 between middle-income and high-income countries, but the gap has widened for children under 15 years. Public health action is needed to reduce inequalities in injuries in the Region.