Show Summary Details

Page of

Printed from Oxford Research Encyclopedias, Global Public Health. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a single article for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 08 December 2023

Firearm Injuries and Public Healthlocked

Firearm Injuries and Public Healthlocked

  • Linda Dahlberg, Linda DahlbergDivision of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Alexander Butchart, Alexander ButchartWorld Health Organization
  • James MercyJames MercyCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
  •  and Thomas SimonThomas SimonCenters for Disease Control and Prevention

Summary

An important function of public health is to prevent injuries or to lessen their impact when they occur. An estimated 251,000 people worldwide die each year from a firearm-related death and many more suffer nonfatal injuries with consequences that can last a lifetime. Firearm injuries, which include those that are intentionally self-inflicted, unintentional, or from an act of interpersonal violence, are heavily concentrated in the Americas, driven largely by firearm homicides. Firearm-related deaths and injuries disproportionately impact males and younger populations and are associated with factors such as access, substance use, adverse childhood experiences, involvement in high-risk social networks, drug trafficking, density of alcohol outlets, and neighborhood and social disadvantage. While progress is being made to understand firearm injuries and how to effectively prevent them, much more needs to be done to improve the availability and timeliness of data; apply the knowledge that is generated to effectively reduce firearm-related injuries, deaths, and costs; strengthen the scientific infrastructure; and move countries closer to achieving the violence-related targets in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Subjects

  • Epidemiology
  • Global Health
  • Public Health Policy and Governance

You do not currently have access to this article

Login

Please login to access the full content.

Subscribe

Access to the full content requires a subscription