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The right to safety is not only a core value in today's society, but it is also a basic human right: ‘everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person’ (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 3).
Rationale
Accidents and injuries are crippling Europe! They are the leading cause of death in children, adolescents and young adults and a major cause of death at old age. In addition, non-fatal injuries account for about ten percent of all hospital admissions.
The risk of death and severe injury is particularly high in such diverse areas as home and leisure, road traffic, workplaces and community violence. Accidents and injuries are estimated to be a major source of chronic disability in all ages, leading to an enormous loss of prime years of good health and a significant loss of quality of life. Up to one-tenth of disability-related retirements and sick leave days are caused by injuries. Beyond the great personal suffering and the huge financial burden to health-care and welfare systems, injuries often affect the whole family, emotionally, structurally and financially.
In Europe, citizens are unequally exposed to injury risks. This relates to the great diversity in geography and in socioeconomic, political and cultural conditions in countries. The WHO estimates that, if all countries in the European Region had the same levels of injury mortality as the country with the lowest mortality, about half a million lives could be saved.
EuroSafe aims to ensure the highest achievable levels of safety in the entire European region and to decrease current inequalities in injuries between countries in the region, by promoting consistent policies, programmes and infrastructures throughout Europe.
Our motto is ‘Working together to make Europe a safer place'! |
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