Funding an Injury Prevention Program. Health and Medicine Coursework

Funding an Injury Prevention Program
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Funding an Injury prevention program
Injuries are a global health threat that affects all people from all walks of life. Every six seconds, a life is lost as a result of an injury (World Health organization, 2019). Mainly, injuries are caused by falls, road accidents, sports and athletics, drug overdoses, assault and acts of violence, poisonings, suicide and self-harm, burns and scalds, to mention a few. Annually, more than five million people die as a result of injuries, while tens of millions of people are left with substantial emotional, physical, and financial problems (World Health organization, 2019). In the United States, injuries are the leading cause of deaths for people below 45 years and -claiming the lives of 180,000 people every year (Center of Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). The significant risk factors to injury include chronic illness, decreased sensation, age, alcohol, and substance abuse, poor vision, poor judgment, hearing problems, failure to use protective equipment, medication, to mention a few.
Typically, the nature of injuries varies substantially according to region, gender, age, and wage groups. For instance, while road accidents, suicide, and homicide are the primary cause of injuries for people between the ages of 15-29 years, falls and trips are the primary reason for injury-deaths among the elderly. Research shows that over 90% of injury associated deaths occur in low and middle-income countries (World Health organization 2019). For instance, injury deaths in Africa region are three times higher than in developed countries such as the United States. Also, males lose their lives almost twice more than females every year. However, females are killed by fire injuries nearly 1.5 times more than their counterparts (Center of Disease Control and Prevention, 2019).
Although injuries are the leading cause of death, they are entirely preventable. Injury risks can be minimized by adopting preventive mechanisms such as observing speed limits and use of crosswalks, physical exercise, installing handrails and grab bars, enhancing the lighting in rooms, and use of seat belts while driving. Moreover, the use of protective equipment, reducing clutter and other tripping hazards in your home or office, and the use of non-slipping mats can help reduce the incidence of injury (Mock et al., 2017). In the United States, numerous organizations have been developed to provide technical assistance, moral support, and funding to different states in their injury prevention programs.
In the past two decades, researchers have identified many strategies that can be used to prevent injuries in different groups of people. Nevertheless, these strategies need to be implemented more broadly. Today, injury- prevention programs have been adopted at individual, organization, hospital, states, and national levels (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2019). In the United States, for instance, over 40% of injuries have been prevented from happening through these injury prevention programs. However, most prevention programs have not achieved their full potential due to the lack of financial resources. Despite the enormous benefits accrued from i...