media releases - the Release of 6th Annual National Injury Mortality SurveillanceNovember 30, 2005 The 6th Annual National Injury Mortality Surveillance (NIMSS) Report released by the University of South Africa (UNISA) and Medical Research Council (MRC), the joint co-ordinators of the national injury surveillance system suggest that we may be witnessing an emerging shift in the patterns of non-natural death in South Africa. Whereas for the last 5 years, (1999-2003) violence tended to show up as the leading cause of non-natural death, for 2004, accidental injuries including transport related injuries accounted for about 40% of the estimated 60 000 non-natural deaths. Violence however accounted for about 38% of fatal injuries for 2004 and remains the leading manner of non-natural death for those aged 15-44, the economically active sector of the population. According to Mr Richard Matzopoulos, the co-ordinator of the NIMSS project at the MRC, age, gender, alcohol abuse and weekends and holiday periods are closely associated with patterns of violent deaths and deaths on our road. Whereas the leading cause for young males between 15 – 44 is violence, for women transport related injuries are the main cause of non-natural death. People 45 years and older were killed by transport related incidents. Professor Seedat, Director of the UNISA-MRC partnership Lead Programme called on all sectors of society and especially those with a vested interest in safety promotion to debate the role of alcohol in entertainment especially during festive and holiday periods. For cases where blood alcohol concentrations were available, at least half of those who died as a result of violence and transport in 2004 showed positive blood alcohol concentrations. Adele Kirsten, the former director of Gun Free South Africa and present consultant to the City of Johannesburg noted that while there seems to be a decrease in fire-arm related deaths, firearms remained the leading external cause of non-natural death for 2004. Adele Kirsten called for an innovative approach to gun-related violence so that we can transcend the current highly changed debate between gun-control and gun ownership lobbyists in South Africa. Prof Baijnath, Vice-Principal for Strategy, Partnership and Planning at UNISA stressed the call for systematic data collection so that policy makers and programme implementers have access to requisite information when instituting prevention actions. He commended the UNISA-MRC team for working closely with the national department of health in producing these annual reports that point to the who, what and how of non-natural deaths in South Africa. Prof Baijnath said that beyond describing the patterns of fatal injuries, the injury surveillance data could now potentially be used to assess the impact and outcome of prevention measures such as the recently promulgated gun-control legislation. Dr Nonhlanhla Madela-Mntla, the newly appointed Executive Manager at the MRC stressed the benefit of viewing injuries and violence as public health issues that are best addressed through multi-sectoral and broad-based partnerships. Dr Madela-Mntla pointed to poor and marginalised communities, previously disadvantaged by apartheid and now by poverty as the main victims of violence and injury. According to Dr Madela-Mntla injury data can “drive our programmatic employment and economic upliftment strategies that will target the risk factors that predispose the urban poor to violence either as perpetrators or victims”. Commending the 16 Days of Activism Campaign Professor Baijnath and Dr Madela-Mntla reiterated the value of public campaigns and supported the need for improving housing conditions, public transport systems and poverty-alleviation in our fight to prevent injuries. For further information contact Issued by: Other media releases News | Latest | Archive |
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