Extending the Boundaries of Injury Prevention Theory, Research and Practice in Africa

Injuries, arising from intentional and unintentional acts, contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. However, the injury prevention field remains under-responsive and under-developed in Africa. Skills shortages, fiscal constraints, a lack of local data for local action, and a disproportionate focus on curative care and criminal justice measures are among the many factors that limit the development of the injury prevention field in the continent. Secularised systems of knowledge production and macro-economic environments and their influences on injury prevention policy and practice in Africa are specifically reviewed. An argument suggesting that the public health perspective, as an open approach, lends itself to innovative multidisciplinary and desecularised studies of injury prevention is developed. African Safety Promotion Vol.1(1) 2002: 5-1