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Rationale
Why a European Child Safety Alliance? We have already identified that injury is the greatest killer of children throughout Europe, and that something can be done to control and reduce injuries if proven prevention strategies are well implemented. There are a number of national programmes dedicated to child injury prevention throughout Europe that are making steady progress to enhance children’s safety, yet injury is not restricted to geographic boarders. Everyday Europe is becoming more of a global community, and this does have an effect on injury and the efforts to reduce injuries at the European level. Even though the burden of injuries has a different profile in each Member State and is influenced by various social, economic, political and cultural factors, united efforts around a common goal throughout Europe have enhanced impact for all in the European Region and contributed to world-wide advancement for injury prevention and safety promotion. This programme must acknowledge and respect the differences among European countries and have the flexibility to be easily adjusted on a national level, but operate Europe wide. A coordinated approach to child injury prevention in Europe addresses the following needs:
The need for the same level of safety standards for child related products and services to be made available between countries. Consumers currently make purchases expecting the same level of safety in all countries, but this is not the case. All Europeans have a right to an equitable and base level of safety.
- The need for consistency of healthy public policies across Member States, as this would assist in reducing childhood injuries throughout Europe.
- The need to share what works to reduce injuries across Member States and enable transfer of good practice between settings and countries.
- The need to develop a standardised data collection system that provides timely, comprehensive and comparable injury data across Member States, in order to effectively monitor the health issue.
- The need for a coordinated plan of action among Member States to reduce child injury accidents, as this would create synergy and the needed critical mass to move the issue forward.
- The responsibility for an equitable status of safety for all European children that complies with the United Nations Charter of the Rights for Children.
Scope
The Alliance will concentrate on strategies that will assist in the reduction of unintentional and intentional injury related deaths and disability amongst children 0 to 17 years of age in the European Union and affiliated Member States.
For the period 2004 to 2009, the focus will be on accidental injuries and deaths for the youngest children i.e. preschool children, and children in their early school years, as well as initiating and enhancing capacity in Central and Eastern Europe. We will concentrate on promoting the wider application of safety practices that are proven to be effective.
The scope of work will include the areas of:
- Accident and risk factor analysis
- Product safety and technology
- Standardisation and enforcement
- Education and promotion
- Capacity building through strategic development of national action plans
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