DID YOU KNOW?
Unintentional injuries are a significant “public health” concern, ranking as the leading cause of death for Canadians aged one to 44 years. Despite this alarming statistic, many Canadians are unaware of the severity of the situation.
CANADA’S CONVENOR (LEAD) FOR INJURY PREVENTION
In 2012, Safe Communities Canada, Safe Kids Canada, SMARTRISK, and ThinkFirst amalgamated to create Parachute, a national voice and convenor (lead) for injury prevention. Three years later, the Canadian Injury Prevention Resource (An evidence-informed guide to injury prevention in Canada) was released by Parachute.
As stated by Parachute, Canada has made some progress in decreasing the burden of injury over the past twenty years. Despite this progress, the injury rate associated with falls and unintentional poisonings continue to rise. As a result, injury remains the largest “public health” issue that Canada faces; it remains a major burden to the healthcare system and other critical resources.
Canada’s convenor for injury prevention 2024-2028 strategic plan lays out a course to address the fact that injury prevention remains a low priority in Canada with little attention and action directed at it, even though it touches every person in our country to some degree.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Parachute will be looking to create formal training opportunities for those working in the field of injury prevention, and build a national association to support and foster efforts towards people in Canada living a long life to the fullest. They will continue to be a convenor (lead) and facilitator of national collective discussions, publish on best practices and implement evidence-informed initiatives.
MOST VULNERABLE
People who die the most often by injury are often the most vulnerable—the youngest and the oldest, the most discriminated against and the least wealthy. It’s important that all stakeholders direct their focus on protecting these vulnerable groups across our vast country.
INJURIES PLACE A HIGH BURDEN ON RESOURCES
Predictable and preventable injuries are not only putting a huge strain on the Canadian Healthcare System (Healthcare Workers) but the strain is also taking its toll on Emergency Responders (Paramedics/Police Officers/Firefighters) and Emergency 911 Dispatchers (Emergency Communications Professionals) who are already experiencing an unprecedented staffing crisis. Additionally, having these staffing shortages put communities at risk; they also put both the mental and physical health of the people in healthcare, emergency response, and emergency dispatch services at risk.
INJURIES—A PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN
When we talk about “public health”, people may think about disease prevention, dental health, eating/nutrition, food safety, tobacco/vaping, as well as vaccines/immunizations etc. But a professional engineer designing a road, a construction firm and building inspector involved in new housing, a paramedic delivering the community paramedicine program, a police officer delivering the community safety programs, a fire service member delivering the public fire safety education programs, a fire prevention officer inspecting to correct/overseeing fire drills/reviewing fire safety plans, and a politician supporting changes to product regulations and building/fire codes affect public health as much as an epidemiologist (people who study diseases) or a public health unit.
Safety—it starts with you folks.
