Media Releases and Communiques
National Injury Prevention Plan 2004 Onwards
The Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in Alice Springs have agreed to a comprehensive set of actions to enhance national and local efforts targeting injury related mortality and morbidity in Australia.
28 July 2005
Joint Communique
The Australian Health Ministers' Conference in Alice Springs today agreed to a comprehensive set of actions to enhance national and local efforts targeting injury related mortality and morbidity in Australia. The National Injury Prevention Plan 2004 Onwards includes the National Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Plan: 2004-2014, accompanied by complementary plans that focus on the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander peoples; the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Safety Promotion Strategy, and falls prevention in the elderly; the National Falls Prevention for Older People Plan: 2004 Onwards.Injuries accounted for almost 6% of all deaths in 2002 and are a large cause of hospitalisation. Suicide (30%), transport injuries (24%) and falls (19%) accounted for the largest proportion of injury deaths. The number of deaths from unintentional falls is increasing and is likely to present a significant challenge into the future due to the ageing population. A further challenge is the substantially higher injury mortality amongst Indigenous than non-Indigenous Australians affecting nearly all age groups.
Whether intended or accidental, most physical injuries can be prevented by identifying their causes and removing these, or reducing people’s exposure to them. Strategies developed under the National Injury Prevention Plan identify priority population groups and issues and aim to build capacity through partnerships and development of the injury prevention and safety promotion workforce. The collaboration of governments, the private sectors and communities in implementation of the Plan will progress the goals of achieving a positive safety culture in Australia and the creation of safe environments.
Media Contact: Richard O’Leary, Media Advisor for NT Minister for Health, Phone No: 08 8901 4118
