Safety 2010 World Conference a Success for International Injury Research Unit

The Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit established a strong presence during the Safety 2010 World Conference in London last week. Co-sponsored by the World Health Organization, this international event is considered the major scientific platform for sharing ideas and furthering knowledge about violence and injury prevention. According to the WHO, it draws more than 1,200 of the world’s leading injury researchers, practitioners and advocates from more than 130 countries.

Members of the International Injury Research Unit, including Dr. Adnan Hyder, Dr. Aruna Chandran, Dr. Prasanthi Puvanachandra and Dr. David Bishai participated in several sessions throughout the event, including a WHO pre-meeting entitled the “Third Global Meeting of Ministry of Health Focal Points for Violence and Injury Prevention.”

The team hosted a parallel session and workshop on September 22 which focused on the evaluation of road safety interventions in 10 countries. This heavily attended session featured presentations and discussion from leaders in international road safety including representatives from the WHO, the Global Road Safety Partnership and Bloomberg Philanthropies, in addition to the International Injury Research Unit’s own Dr. Hyder and Dr. Puvanachandra.

On September 24, Dr. Bishai of the International Injury Research Unit, along with Dr. Francesco Zamboni of the WHO, presented their research during a scientific session entitled “Road Transport Law and Policy.” Dr. Bishai discussed the politics of road safety projects and raised the aspiration that, despite political challenges, these projects can lead to the ascendance of road safety on national political agendas.

In addition, Dr. Hyder served as the chair for sessions hosted by the Road Traffic Injuries Research Network and also the WHO’s Mentor VIP program. The International Injury Research Unit further demonstrated results on several posters throughout the conference.

For more information about the International Injury Research Unit, please download our Safety 2010 brochure or contact IIRU@jhsph.edu.