400 Bull World Health Organ 2009;87:400 | doi:10.2471/BLT.09.064642 Special theme – Childhood injuries and violence

Although injury is a health problem, it is clear that the budget allocations of WHO itself were heavily skewed to-wards infectious diseases in 2006–2007, with less than 1 % of the WHO budget allocated to injuries and violence.2,3 Vested interests in certain diseases by ministries of health reflect similar patterns, ensuring that injury prevention resources are not commensurate with the size and preventability of the problem. Despite commitment to injury prevention through World Health Assembly and United Nations resolutions,4 ministries of health can and do fail their constituencies with regard to injury prevention, exemplified by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing axing its Injury Prevention unit in 2009,5 despite injury remaining the leading cause of death for Australians aged 1–44 years. Injury is also absen