October 28, 2021 - Injury Free Coalition for Kids National Office
(New York) While the country continues to address issues surrounding COVID-19 and the rise of deaths due to the delta variant, injuries and violence remain a major concern of healthcare professionals and community advocates. They are the number one killer and cause of hospitalization for people ages one to 44, and many are preventable with the use of safety practices, products, and the implementation of strong legislative policies. That is why, the country’s top injury and violence prevention organizations are joining forces Thursday November 18, 2021, for the second annual National Injury Prevention Day.
The Injury Free Coalition for Kids®, Safe Kids Worldwide, Safe States Alliance, the American Trauma Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, BeSMART a division of Everytown for Gun Safety, the Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research, the Trauma Centers of America Association and JPMA Cares of the Juvenile Products and Manufacturers Association take part in this effort to educate the public about the burden of injuries and violence to families and communities.
"Whether it be at home, on the road or at play, precautions need to be taken," said Barbara Barlow, MD, the Founder and Director of the Injury Free Coalition for Kids. "Children are needlessly dying. Every day, 20 children die from preventable injuries, resulting in more deaths than all diseases combined. This has to change."
On November 18th, trauma centers and community advocates across the country will work to educate families and community leaders about ways to develop safer environments and provide many with tools to do so. Local and state government representatives will be challenged to acknowledge these concerns and make efforts to address them. At 1:00 p.m. (EST), the public is invited to take part in a live national conversation about the country’s top injury and violence concerns during a one-hour twitter chat using the hashtag #BeInjuryFree. As the sun goes down that day, hospitals, landmarks, businesses, monuments, neighborhoods, and government offices will be asked to shine a green light to raise awareness about the need the need for change.
"As an emergency room physician, I know firsthand how important it is for us to come together," Kathy Monroe, MD said. "We can make a difference."
Among the places lighting the way toward change are the Hemsley Building on Park Avenue in New York, the Johns Hopkins and City of Baltimore Domes, stadiums that serve as homes to the Baltimore Ravens and the Minnesota Vikings, The John Hancock Building in Chicago, and bridges in Arkansas, Houston and Rochester. A number of cities will focus on a specific preventable injury on the 18th: San Diego will address bike safety, Kansas City will address firearm and home safety, Nashville will look at sleep safety, Peoria will address child passenger safety and Boston will cover a variety of injury prevention topics including CPS, concussion and youth violence prevention during a day long conference. To learn more about what’s being done in other cities across the country go to www.injuryfree.org.
For more information about National Injury Prevention Day or to arrange an interview in advance, please contact E. Lenita Johnson 816-651-7777 or e-mail Estelljohnson@sbcglobal.net.
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The Injury Free Coalition for Kids is a part of the outreach arm of the ICRC located in the Columbia University Center for Injury Science and Prevention.
Contact:
E. Lenita Johnson
816-651-7777
estelljohnson@sbcglobal.net
