Nova Scotia's Renewed Injury Prevention Strategy - Government of ...

Minister’s MessageDespite all of the advances made in improving thelives of Nova Scotians, injury remains the leadingcause of death and disability during the first 45 yearsof life and costs Nova Scotians $518 million each year.Injury especially impacts our youth, causing moredeaths than all diseases and other threats to healthcombined for those aged one to 19. It’s also a leadingcause of hospitalization and injury places great stresson our emergency departments and other health-careresources.We have all been affected by injury in one way oranother. It may be someone close to us like a familymember, friend, or co-worker. Or it may be someonethat we know of. In the end, we have all heard aboutsomeone, somewhere, who has had an injury.The renewed injury prevention strategy has beendeveloped collaboratively with stakeholders andcreates a shared agenda for the next 3-5 years. WhileHPP leads the strategy, its success is driven by thecollective efforts of many government departments,community organizations, and partners.Taking It to the Next Level is the title of the renewedstrategy, reflecting the necessity of building resilientpopulations and focusing on those factors which leadto poor health and a lack of safety. This approach willreduce injuries and improve all aspects of the healthof Nova Scotians. The renewed strategy alsorecognizes the need for greater integration andcollaboration with others working in health promotionand social justice.The concept of injury prevention is broad and can bechallenging to understand. Injuries have manycauses—car crashes, falls, violence, drownings orrecreation, to name just a few. Injuries take manyforms—broken bones, soft-tissue damage, spinal cord,brain injuries—and have various degrees of severity.Injuries happen in every setting, from our streets andhighways to schools, workplaces, the outdoors, andeven in our homes. Injury prevention encompasses allof these things.Regardless of the cause or type, all injuries haveseveral common elements:• They impact the lives of Nova Scotians every daybut, remain largely invisible.• They rarely result from a single cause. Many factors,often beyond the control of individuals, contributeto an injury-causing event.• Injuries are not accidents. They are almost alwayspreventable.I am pleased to endorse the renewed strategy andvery encouraged by the ideas it proposes to take injuryprevention to the next level. Nova Scotia has been andwill continue to be a leader in improving the health ofcommunities.I look forward to working with my colleagues toconsider ways to meaningfully support this strategy.We all share a vision to live in a province wherepeople are healthier and safer. My sincere thanks to allthe committed individuals and organizations whohave worked so hard to improve the safety and healthof Nova Scotians in the past, and best wishes forsuccess in your continuing contributions to this vitaleffort.The Honourable Maureen MacDonaldMinisterDepartment of Health Promotion and ProtectionTaking It to the Next Level Nova Scotia’s Renewed Injury Prevention Strategy9