European facts and the “Global status report on violence prevention 2014”

This booklet is published along with the first ever Global status report on violence prevention, assesses the measures that countries are taking to prevent violence and recommends further steps. Data were collected in 41 out of 53 countries in the WHO European Region. In addition, new global, regional and national estimates of homicide were computed. The findings show that nearly 35 000 people lost their lives from homicides in 2012. Those most at risk of homicide are males aged 30–59 years. The non-fatal effects of violence are enormous and far reaching and are a strain on health systems and society as a whole.

More national plans that are informed by data need to be developed in the Region. Countries are investing in solutions to prevent violence but these urgently need scaling up. Laws to protect people against violence have been widely enacted, but reported enforcement is inadequate and needs to be improved. Health systems need to take the lead in developing high-quality services to identify, refer, protect and support victims. Policy-makers and practitioners from different sectors need to work together to implement evidence-informed solutions that focus on equity and the life-course approach.