Fed: Meeting to address fatal childhood accidents

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2009
Fed: Meeting to address fatal childhood accidents

SYDNEY, April 13 AAP - Easily preventable accidents kill almost 300 Australian children
a year and are the major cause of death among youngsters, research shows.

Medical and injury risk specialists will meet this week to discuss the findings of
last year's World Health Organisation report on child injury prevention.

The report estimates accidents send 66,000 Australian children to hospital each year,
costing the community billions of dollars.

"The five top causes of unintentional injury for children are road traffic accidents,
drowning, burns, falls and poisoning. Most, if not all, could be prevented," University
of NSW (UNSW) injury risk management research centre spokeswoman Shauna Sherker said in
a statement on Monday.

The university on Tuesday will host the first major workshop in NSW to address child
risk, safety and injury prevention in the community.

It will involve hospital experts, along with representatives from Kidsafe NSW, the
University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney and UNSW.

Discussions will include vehicle safety design, childhood drowning prevention and the
causes of burn injuries.

"Child injury prevention is acknowledged as an Australian national priority, not just
because of the pain and suffering these accidents represent for our children, but because
of the stresses and strains they bring to the health system and families as well," UNSW
Professor Paul Barach said.

"Most of these injuries and fatal outcomes are preventable. Most of the remedies are
known. Most of them are relatively simple to implement. They require focused leadership
and the political will to happen."

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KEYWORD: CHILDREN

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