Advocacy

Injury Prevention

Injuries kill more children in Canada than all other diseases combined. In 2005, 720 Canadian children and youth died after being injured. And in the same year, over 29,000 children and youth were admitted to hospital with injuries. At CHEO, 1 out of every 5 children who visit our emergency department have come because they’ve been injured.

Our staff is very skilled at caring for children and youth who have been injured. But we’d prefer to prevent these injuries from happening in the first place. Our Advocacy Committee has made injury prevention a priority, and works with CHEO staff to advocate for laws and policies that have been proven to reduce serious injuries in children and youth.

Recent Issues in Canada

• Health Canada and Canadian Standards Association Announce New Standard for Snow Sport Helmets:
  http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/_2009/2009_49-eng.php
• Safe Kids Canada launches national charter on helmet safety for winter ski sports to help reduce devastating injuries:
  http://www.safekidscanada.ca/SKCForMedia/section.asp?s=Media%2BReleases&sID=11445&ss=2009&ssID=27189&sss=Vancouver%2BCharter&sssID=27967
• Canada's New Government Accepts Recommendation of Baby Walker Board of Review Upholding the Product Ban:
  http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/_2007/2007_68-eng.php

Excellent Sources of Information

• Child and Youth Unintentional Injury: 1994-2003 10 Years in Review (Safe Kids Canada National Report)
• CCPH21 Fast Facts: Injury Prevention for Children and Youth - A Public Health Issue (pdf)
• http://www.thinkfirst.ca/aboutus/index.aspx
• Safe Kids Canada provides a complete index of advocacy resources and statistics related to injury prevention: http://www.safekidscanada.ca/SKCPublicPolicyAdvocacy/section.asp?s=Advocacy%2BResources&sID=15070