Injury is the third leading cause of death in Mongolia. Road traffic injuries claim the largest number of adult lives, while falls and burns are the leading causes of injury-related deaths among children. In response to this important public health issue, the Government of Mongolia is working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) to reduce this burden of injury. Injuries are one of the most preventable public health challenges. Wearing seat belts and avoiding drinking and driving to prevent crashes; installing window guards and safety gates at the top of staircases to prevent falls; installing smoke alarms and ensuring safe cooking wear to avoid burns are all very effective strategies.
High-level officials, policy-makers, global injury and violence prevention experts and technical coordinators gathered in Ulaanbaatar from 16-19 September 2019 to strengthen national approaches towards violence and injury prevention. The week-long series of meetings and workshops was co-hosted by the National Traumatology and Orthopaedics Research Centre and the WHO Mongolia Country Office.
Growing burden of injuries.
The National Traumatology and Orthopaedics Research Centre reports 2923 deaths due to injuries in Mongolia during 2018. The Ministry of Health has acknowledged that rates of injury continue to rise in the country despite ongoing prevention efforts.
“Children make up 38% of the Mongolian population. They are fundamental to our country's development. However, in 2018, 52 children died due to road traffic injuries alone. Although the health sector has invested many efforts into reducing injuries, we need to strengthen our multisectoral collaboration to address this critical issue,” said Davaajantsangiin Sarangerel, Minister of Health.
All sectors on board: Reducing deaths from injury.
Protecting citizens from injuries has become a priority across sectors in Mongolia. On 17 September, 28 high-level officials from various government ministries and agencies gathered to progress establishment of the National Multisectoral Coordination Council for Violence and Injury Prevention under the leadership of Ölziisaikhany Enkhtüvshin, Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia. This Council will bolster efforts to reduce injuries, which will further advance the implementation of the National Program on Injury Prevention, endorsed by the Government in 2018.
"The commitment and political will we have seen from Mongolian leadership has been encouraging. This is the kind of momentum needed to save more lives from road crashes, falls and burns, all of which are preventable through well-coordinated actions from all sectors," said Dr Sergey Diorditsa, WHO Representative in Mongolia.
Protecting children from violence
In Mongolia, violence against children remains a major public health issue, with 33,259 crimes against children reported to authorities in 2017. Experiencing violence in childhood impacts lifelong health and well-being, delaying development, increasing risk of poor mental health, risky sexual behavior, and drug and alcohol abuse later in life.
On 18 September, representatives from a variety of sectors including health, social services, education and law enforcement received training on the 7 ‘INSPIRE’ strategies to reduce child violence. Strategies focus on 1) implementing and enforcing laws to protect children, 2) changing norms and values around violence, 3) creating safe environments for children, 4) providing parent and caregiver support, 5) establishing income and economic strengthening initiatives, 6) establishing response and support services for victims of violence and 7) providing education and life skills to children.
“We are proud to support training and capacity development to promote the protection of children against violence. Increasing the skills of health care workers and educators in the country is critical to ensuring we have effective systems in place to prevent and respond to violence,” said Dr Etienne Krug, Director of WHO Department for Social Determinants of Health.
Mongolia is one of 26 countries in the world taking the lead in ending violence against children driven through the global End Violence Against Children initiative.