| Saskatoon – A new Better Health for All online report released today by Saskatoon Health Region reveals that preventable injuries present a major health burden in our communities. "Over the last decade, Saskatchewan has had the highest injury hospitalization rates compared to any other province in Canada," says Dr. Cory Neudorf, Saskatoon Health Region's Chief Medical Health Officer. "The good news is that hospitalization rates due to unintentional injuries have decreased by 21 per cent since 2003. Every year, an average of 100 people die, 1,300 people are hospitalized and 15,700 people go to the emergency department (about 40 per day) because of preventable injuries such as falls, motor vehicle collisions and unintentional poisonings. "We have an opportunity to reduce emergency department wait times and hospital admissions if we can make even a small improvement in the number of unintentional injuries," says Dr. Neudorf. Key findings in the report include: - Hospitalization rates due to falls, bicycling, fires/burns and sports-related injuries have decreased over time.
- Hospitalization rates due to motor vehicle collisions and off-road injuries are more common for residents living in rural areas of the Region.
- Hot liquids, tap water and other fluids are responsible for 80 per cent of hospitalizations due to fire/burn injuries for children under five years old.
- People living in the least advantaged areas in our Region are more likely to become injured, especially from poisonings, pedestrian injuries, motor vehicle injuries, fires/burns and falls.
The Region is committed to working with its partners: - To address the root causes of unintentional injuries
- To continue building on the successes around falls reduction
- To strengthen road and pedestrian safety through comprehensive intervention efforts
- To continue strengthening safety in sports, especially around head injuries
- To work with healthcare practitioners to help reduce unintentional poisonings
- To improve fire and burn safety within the Region
- To enhance awareness around drowning incidents
- To highlight the need for an overarching injury agency for the province and for an increase in injury prevention support in the Region
- To highlight the need for better injury data, especially for children
To learn more about this report, visit Health Status Reports: Better Health for All Series (Series 7: Unintentional Injuries) at https://www.saskatoonhealthregion.ca/locations_services/Services/Health-Observatory/Pages/ReportsPublications.aspx To view infographics for the report, visit http://www.communityview.ca/infographic_SHR_injury.html |
