World Health Organisation (WHO) Safe Communities Movement

In the early 1970s interdisciplinary scientific research programmes at Lund University in Sweden pioneered community-based accident and injury prevention programmes. The Falkoping study, a community oriented programme approach, proved highly successful reducing injuries by almost 30% on average after two years of intervention.

The Manifesto for Safe Communities was developed during the First World Conference on Accidents and Injury Prevention, held at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden in 1989. WHO "Safe Communities" approach injury prevention and control in a comprehensive way covering all ages, environments and situations. Formally designated ‘Safe Communities’ achieve safe community status measured against the twelve criteria developed by WHO for safe communities.

In Australia formally designated "Safe Communities" include IIawarra (NSW), City of Hume (VIC)(formerly Shire of Bulla), Noarlunga (SA), Shire of La Trobe (VIC) and Parkes (NSW). The Monash University Accident Research Centre was formally designated an ‘Affiliated Safe Community Support Centre’ in 1997.

Since 1989, over 80 communities have been formally designated WHO "Safe Communities". Australia, Sweden, Thailand, Canada, France, Denmark, Norway, United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand and South Africa are among the countries represented.

The WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety Promotion is part of the Division of Social Medicine at the Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. Visit the web site of the Karolinska Institutet for further information on Safe Communities and the Safe Community News.