Recently WHO published a guideline describing the necessary steps for development of a national injury prevention policy entitled Developing policies to prevent injuries and violence: guidelines for policy-makers and planners (2006).

In the previous WHO publications world report on violence and health (2002) and world report on road traffic injury prevention (2004) the large and increasing global burden of injuries and violence is described, and governements are encouraged to develop national and local, policies for injury and violence prevention.

The report provides a step-by-step approach to the development of national policies to prevent violence and injuries. It also explains the rationale behind the need for such tools, the importance of the health sector in their development, and the link between policies and legislation. A separate document giving further guidance especially on how to implement policies, is announced.

One of the annexes attached to the present report comprises examples of national (and subnational) policy documents for injury and violence prevention and control currently being implemented by various countries around the world.

These documents, which are accessible trough the web site of WHO's department of Injuries and Violence Prevention

(www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/policy/en/) may serve as inspiration for policy-makers and planners in other countries.