WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION VIOLENCE PREVENTION UNIT:
APPROACH, OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES, 2022-2026
INTRODUCTION
Within the Department of Social Determinants of Health, the Violence Prevention Unit focuses on preventing interpersonal violence in all its forms and in all settings - child maltreatment, youth violence, intimate partner violence, rape or sexual assault by strangers, abuse of older people, violence in institutional settings such as schools, workplaces, prisons and nursing homes – with an emphasis on preventing violence against children1. The Violence Prevention Unit provides strategic leadership on the topic; develops evidence, norms and standards, including implementation tools; builds national capacities to address these issues; and fosters global advocacy. It does so by engaging a broad range of partners and networks to scale up effective action and track progress in countries.
The purpose of this document is to outline the Violence Prevention Unit’s approach to violence prevention, and its objectives and activities for 2022-2026. It is aimed at policy-makers, civil society organizations, academics, funders and in fact, anyone who would like to know more about the who, why, how, what, when and where of violence prevention efforts at WHO.
WHO ARE WE?
The Violence Prevention Unit’s small team based in WHO’s headquarters in Geneva works closely with colleagues in other departments and units such as Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing; Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research; and Demographic Change and Healthy Ageing. Alongside WHO’s headquarter-based violence prevention staff, regional advisers in each of the six WHO regions work closely to support the uptake and implementation of WHO violence prevention resources by countries.
- WHO defines violence as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation”. This definition encompasses interpersonal violence, suicidal behaviour, and forms of collective violence such as armed conflict.
Interpersonal violence is violence inflicted by another individual or by a small group of individuals, including family members, intimate partner, acquaintances or strangers.
WHY FOCUS ON VIOLENCE?
Violence is a major public health problem - it affects billions of peoples’ lives each year, through death, injury, and detrimental impacts on neurological, cardiovascular, immune, and other biological systems. High-risk behaviours such as unsafe sex, harmful alcohol and drug use and smoking are more frequent among victims, among whom they contribute to lifelong ill health and premature mortality. Individuals maltreated in childhood are more likely to be involved in interpersonal violence as they grow up, and to attempt suicide.
Every day, tens of thousands of people come to the attention of medical authorities to receive some form of emergency medical, medico-legal, or other care because of violence. Violence also places a heavy strain on local and national economies with some estimates suggesting the global costs might be as high as 11% of the world’s gross domestic product when factoring in homicide, violent crime, child abuse, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence.
Ending or significantly reducing violence is explicitly called for in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). SDG Target 5.2 is to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls; Target 16.1 is to significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere, and Target 16.2 is to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against children. Because it is a risk factor for other negative health and social outcomes across the life course, preventing violence can also contribute significantly to achieving other SDG targets, including those on health, gender, employment, and urban safety.
- Interpersonal violence accounted for 475,000 deaths
- Global estimates indicate ONE BILLION CHILDREN - over half of all children aged 2 - 17 years have experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence in the past 12 months alone
- 1 in 3 women have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence at least once since the age of 15 years, usually by an intimate partner
