Violent and not-intended injuries represent an important burden for public health at global level. Although experts on injury prevention and safety promotion acknowledge the need for imminent implementation of actions, progress in these areas are not included in policies and programs. The main topic at the conference Safety 2016, "From Research to Implementation", aimed to generate new ideas through shared experiences to bridge this gap.

In this sense, the Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez made a presentation sharing its experience on the work that improved local school transport, a daily service provided to 16,000 children in Uruguay.

Three lines of action were presented: training, research and advocacy. These are projected in the LAC region, where road crashes are the main cause of death for children aged 5 -14 years old.

The presentation detailed all the steps taken by the Fundación from research to implementation of the act passed in 2010 making the use of 3-point, height-adjustable seat belts mandatory for children traveling in school transport buses. This act stated that children younger than 3 years old should travel in a Child Restraint System and that school buses should have an adult attendant in charge of monitoring the use of restraint systems by children.

One relevant aspect discussed pointed out during the approval and execution process was the time spent between the beginning of said process and its implementation. The Uruguayan experience took almost five years for the passing of the school transport act, since it implied the renewal of the whole fleet and a sensitization process of all social stakeholders involved. However, the importance of generating this kind of positive change for the protection of all children was highlighted.

At the closure of the conference participants made a declaration calling for a strong, global, coordinated action together with governments and society as a whole to reduce the impact of injuries and violence.

Debates on new policies related to violent injuries discussed at the UN General Assembly, and at the World Health Assembly were welcomed. Several resolutions were passed and included in the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.

To read the complete declaration of Tampere, click here.

The Safety 2016 was organized by the THL and several partners and colleagues from Finland, Europe and the international community. The conference was co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO).