Child maltreatment prevention: country success stories

In the WHO European Region, it is estimated that 55 million children are subject to some form of violence each year. The consequences are devastating to the physical and mental health of affected individuals, and result in substantial and avoidable health-care costs throughout the life-course.

While the 2018 “European status report on preventing child maltreatment” highlights that more work still needs to be done to prevent child maltreatment – especially in terms of population-based, multidisciplinary and evidence-informed strategies – it also includes many success stories.The stories below highlight some of the actions that can be taken to create a safer world for children.

Jonathon Passmore, Programme Manager for Violence and Injury Prevention at WHO/Europe, notes, “For an issue as complex and heartbreaking as child maltreatment, recognizing successes in prevention is so important to inspire further action across our Region.”