New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy

Abstract

The New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy’s vision was for New Zealand to become injury free by achieving a positive safety culture and creating safe environments. This strategy focused on the areas of drowning, the workplace, motor vehicle crashes, suicide/self-harm, falls, and assault. Its implementation provided a framework for the development of injury prevention policy and activities related to services delivery. The first New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy Implementation Plan took effect in July 2004. The evaluation was conducted with key stakeholders from governmental and nongovernmental organizations. The evaluation concluded that participants applauded the development of the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy and its Implementation Plan. Respondents recognized that the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy and its implementation had facilitated communities, institutions, and the general public in New Zealand to approach injury prevention in a more defined and proactive manner.

Appendices

BRIO Model: New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy

Group Served: New Zealand individuals who are affected by drowning, workplace injuries, motor vehicle traffic crashes, suicide/self-harm, and assault.

Goal: New Zealand becoming injury free.

Background	Resources	Implementation	Outcome
Six national injury prevention priority areas were chosen as follows: motor vehicle crashes, workplace injuries, falls, suicide, assault, and drowning, which accounted for at least 80% of injury deaths and serious injury in NZ Subsequent to the election of the Labor Party, amendments made to legislation emphasized that injury prevention become a key focus for the ACC Developed between 2001 and 2003 and implemented in 2004, the NZIPS was unique for injury prevention worldwide as it was a strategy that was already in effect, which accounts for five main aspects of injury explicitly within its vision, goals, and objectives Flexibility for and adaptability of stakeholders was highly important from the outset of the development process	At the time of development, governmental agencies such as the NZIPS Secretariat (within ACC), Stakeholder Reference Group, Expert Advisory Panel, and Government Interagency Steering Group were formed Dr. Keith McLea, director of Injury Prevention at the ACC, specifically acted on behalf of the NZIPS project team between 2001 and 2002 to mobilize government support and facilitate community ownership and buy-in into the proposed strategy and within the six national priority areas Regardless of changes in the nature of the stakeholders, the efforts of the agencies involved continue to be fluid, collaborative and strongly communicative.	Drowning Prevention Strategy focused on the planning requirements needed to address the challenges for water safety The Workplace Health and Safety Strategy promoted prevention, responsibility, and practicability in the effort to reduce injuries and improve productivity Road Safety to 2010 Strategy aims for an affordable, safe, and sustainable transport system New Zealand Suicide Prevention Strategy aimed to reduce the suicide rate and behavior Preventing injury from falls addressed falls prevention in home, recreation activities, social settings, at schools and childhood/older adults’ facilities Community violence and sexual violence aimed to provide leadership to stop family violence/promote healthy, stable families	Dr. Carolyn Coggan was described as a highly “integral” person in the development process of the NZIPS for her role as Chair of the Stakeholder Reference Group. On an organization-wide level, the ACC has also played a fundamental role by comprehensively collecting and aggregating all injury data on an ongoing basis. The role of the ACC was highlighted as it improved the fiscal and resource infrastructure from which initiatives could be realized and from where decision-making could be facilitated

Life Space Model: New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy

Sociocultural: civilization/community	Interpersonal: primary and secondary relationships	Physical environments: where we live	Internal states: biochemical/genetic and means of coping
Implementation plans devised for six national priority areas addressed the areas that show where communities are at risk most: Drowning Prevention Strategy Framework: Towards a Water Safe New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Strategy Road Safety Strategy (Safer Journeys) New Zealand Suicide Prevention Strategy Preventing Injury from Falls: The National Strategy Action Plan to Reduce Community Violence & Sexual Violence Multifaceted approach adapted by specific Ministries with expertise in the priority areas.	On an organizational-wide level, the ACC has also played a fundamental role by comprehensively collecting and aggregating all injury data Participation between skilled, passionate, and dedicated local and regional coordinators, experts, as well as a well-informed and connected advisory group with a strong needs-assessment process, sustainable funding, sound infrastructure, expert capability and capacity, information sharing and evaluation	Drowning, workplace falls, and motor vehicle crashes in addition to the other injury priority areas are a part of urban and rural life in New Zealand and happen to cause the majority of injuries in New Zealand Intervention by multilevel agencies to talk the priority areas as a whole (e.g., for drowning, tackling pool safety, bathtub and washroom safety, and river safety)	Empowerment at national level government as well as provincial ministries and grassroots NGOs and local government agencies Ownership over individual initiatives and participation within national activities—demonstrating a relationship between support at the national level to succeed in initiatives at the local level