Data and statistics

Injuries are defined by intent.

• Unintentional injuries include road traffic injuries, poisoning, drowning, falls and burns/scalds (72%).
• Intentional injuries are those caused by violence (28%).

Injuries have been traditionally regarded as random, unavoidable “accidents”. In the last few decades, a better understanding has changed these attitudes, and injuries – both unintentional and intentional – are now regarded as largely preventable.

The years of life lost or lived with disability from injuries, expressed in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), account for 10.5% of the DALYs for all causes. These figures also include the physical and psychological suffering of victims of sexual violence, abuse and neglect, which disproportionately affect women and children.