Arizona Public Health Association Resolution
Injury and Violence Prevention and Control Programs
in the State and Local Health Departments
The Arizona Public Health Association (AzPHA), referencing the American Public Health Association resolution number 9927; and
Observing that deaths from unintentional and intentional injury are the leading cause of death for Americans aged 1-34 years, and are the leading cause of years oflife lost prior to age 75; and
Realizing that the societal cost of injury-related morbidity and mortality were estimated at $260 billion in FY 1995; and
Noting that the systematic federal, state, and local public health response to motor vehicle safety issues resulted in a substantial reduction in deaths attributed to motor vehicle crashes in the US; and
Acknowledging that injury rates from specific causes vary substantially among states and within regions of states; and
Recognizing that state and local injury surveillance is needed to better reflect details of local conditions and to assist in establishing program priorities and evaluating the impact of interventions; and
Recognizing the importance of state and local injury and violence prevention and control intervention implementation and evaluation; and
Observing that Ariz;ona does not have a core injury and violence prevention program; and Acknowledging that the Institute ofMedicine recommends strengthening state infrastructure by development of core injury prevention programs in each state’s department of health; and Observing that the Institute of Medicine recommends that support for strengthening state infrastructure in injury prevention should be provided by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control in collaboration with state and local governments; and
Noting that the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control’s Advisory Committee recommends a level of core funding for injury and violence prevention;
therefore Arizona Public Health Association
1. Urges collaboration with the State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors’ Association and the American Public Health Association Injury Control and Emergency Health Services Section, to develop information that will be useful in educating governors and state legislators about the problem of injury and the importance of state based interventions;
2. Urges collaboration with National Council of State Legislatures and the National Governor’s Association to bring the issue of injury forward on the legislative and programmatic agendas of the states;
3. Advocates for increased funding for the National Center for Injury Control and Prevention that is targeted toward the establishment and maintenance of state-based initiatives in injury control;
4. Urges the governor and state legislator to direct the state and local health departments to establish injury and violence prevention and control programs that focus on surveillance; program design, implementation and evaluation; coordination and collaboration; technical support and training; and public policy;
5. Encourages the governor and state legislature to allocate additional appropriations to state and local health departments for injury and violence prevention and control;
6. Encourages schools of public health, medicine, dentistry, optometry, engineering, and other appropriate schools to establish or expand research and training programs in injury and violence prevention and control, and urges federal and state governments to allocate funding for such programs; and
7. Supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resources and Services Administration in its work with state and local health agencies to further the development of injury and violence prevention and control programs through expanding available resources including core funding and technical assistance.
8. Supports Arizona 2010 injury /violence prevention efforts.