Making the world a safer place for children

CAPE TOWN will host the first ever Conference of the International Society for Violence and Injury Prevention from 31st August-3rd September 2008 at the University of Cape Town.

Underlining the conference's importance, the World Health Organisation says that injuries and accidental trauma are the leading cause of death and disability in the world.

Hosted by the Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Southern Africa (CHILDSAFE), the influential conference brings together foremost experts in the field.

“Accident trauma is the greatest danger to our children, far more so than any other disease,” says Prof. Sebastian Van As, National President of CHILDSAFE, the country's largest advocacy group for child accident prevention.

Apart from the conference being held for the first time, it is also significant that it will take place in Africa.

“Children are at the highest risk for accidents and injuries and over 95% of all childhood injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries. With over half of Africa's population of one billion people being children it is appropriate to host this conference here in Cape Town,” he says.

Along with medical and sociological experts, speakers at the conference will include Cape Town's Mayor Alderman Helen Zille who will present a paper on safer cities for children.

“Cities are pressured environments in which to raise children and sometimes dangerous places to which children themselves have to adjust,” says Mayor Zille.

“I hope that the interactions and collaborations that this event generates will lead to improved treatment methods for injuries and new initiatives to promote the overall safety of children in Cape Town and other cities around the world.”

In helping to create a safer world for children, CHILDSAFE (www.childsafe.org.za) advocates legislation and aims to reduce and prevent intentional and unintentional injuries through research, education and community-based programmes, in association with government and NGOs.

The conference web site:
http://www.uct-cmc.co.za/Conferences/2008/ISVIP/