The Changes, Challenges and Accomplishments in Child Injury Prevention over the last 40 Years

Tuesday 18^th May 2021

The University Club of Western Australia (UWA), Crawley

Background

Injury is a major cause of preventable death and disability that affects Australians of all ages. Over 24 West Australian children die each year from preventable injuries, while a further 8,000 are hospitalised.

Over the past 40 years, Western Australia has achieved significant gains in the prevention of many types of childhood injuries including burns and scalds, poisoning, drowning, falls, safe sleeping, mental health and road traffic accidents, as well as the areas of product safety and injury surveillance. This has required collaborative action from the government, not for profit organisations, injury prevention sectors and the community to maximise the reach, efficiency and effectiveness of injury prevention initiatives.

About the Event

On Tuesday the 18^th May 2021, Kidsafe WA held the inaugural Child Injury Prevention Symposium at the University Club of UWA. Over 60 people attended the event to hear presentations’ on The changes, challenges and accomplishments in child injury prevention over the past 40 years.

Throughout the Symposium we heard presentations from a wide range of speakers across Government, Public Health, Research Institutes and the Not for Profit sector. Despite each experiencing their unique challenges over the past four decades, their commitment to ensuring Western Australian children to grow up healthy and happy should be commended! With every attendee leaving inspired to continue their own cause in our state.  

Copies of the presentations from the day can be found below: 

• Hearing the Views of Children and Young People on Safety and Wellbeing (Colin Pettit, The Commissioner for Children and Young People Western Australia)

• The Role of Regulation and Legislation Changes to Improve Safety for Children in Western Australia (Ms Trish Blake, Acting Director of Retail and Services within Consumer Protection)

• 40 Years of Kidsafe WA (Melita Jefferies, Manager of Training Services, Kidsafe WA)

• Recollections of Battles Lost and Won (Professor Gervase Chaney, Dean, National Head of School, School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame Australia)

• Suicide Prevention for Young People In Western Australia (Jacinta Freeman and Penelope Strauss, Telethon Kids Institute)

• Trends in Childhood Poisonings; Cases Reported the WA Poisons Information Centre 2005-2020 (Anne-Marie Lynch, WA Poisons Information Centre)

• Childhood Burns: How to Minimise Incidence, Injury and Impact (Lisa Martin, Perth Children’s Hospital Burn Injury Research Unit)

• Toddler Drowning in Home Swimming Pools: An Injury Prevention Success Story (Rachel Murray, Royal Life Saving WA)