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Emory Center for Injury Control commemorates 20th anniversary

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Violence and injuries are the leading causes of death for individuals between one and 44 years of age.  Each year, nearly 1 person every 3 minutes or 180,000 people annually die from violence and injuries. Furthermore, more than 1,500 children die from abuse and neglect, almost one-third of homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner, and 42 percent of passenger vehicle occupants are killed due to not wearing a seatbelt. The Emory Center for Injury Control was formed in 1993 to address all these issues of health and wellness and recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. On Thursday, Nov. 14, the center will host a 20th anniversary celebration and fundraising event at the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Emory Center for Injury Control is a multi-institutional consortium aimed at stopping violent assaults and unintentional injuries and developing the next generation of injury prevention professionals. Today, it is a World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization collaborating center as well as a CDC funded Injury Control Research Center with over 170 faculty from Emory and other institutions and organizations focused on translating science into practice.

"The one common thing with injuries and violence is that they’re predictable and preventable,” says Debra Houry, MD, MPH, associate professor of emergency medicine and director of the Emory Center for Injury Control. "It’s really been our mission to look at these pressing issues in our region and determine how we can address them through scholarship, teaching and education, and community practice.”

Through its many partnerships, the center has led major studies to halt gun violence, bullying, partner violence, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

"There is a lot of conversation right now about healthcare costs,” explains Houry, who is also an emergency room physician at Grady Memorial Hospital. "Violence and injuries cost more than $406 billion in medical care and lost productivity each year, and 29 million people visit emergency rooms as a result of violence and injuries. The Emory Center for Injury Control is vital, because if we can stop injuries and violence before they occur, we can also stop all of these other long-term consequences.”

Find more information on the Emory Center for Injury Control and anniversary event at their website.

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