Brussels, 22/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - By adopting by 43 votes in favour, with 1 against and 1 abstention, the draft report by Kathy Sinnott (IND/DEM, Ireland), the environment and public health committee recommended that the European Parliament plenary approve the draft recommendation calling on Member States to implement a European injuries monitoring network. As is the case with the epidemiological monitoring network already in place, this initiative will involve providing more comprehensive information in an effort to better understand and prevent the different causes behind men and women seeking emergency treatment: domestic accidents, traffic accidents, violence, self-mutilation etc.
Following the line of its rapporteur Portuguese Socialist Edite Estrella, the committee wanted particular attention to be paid to violence against women and children. She also highlighted the importance of social factors (amendment from Italian PES MEP, Giovanni Berlinguer) and proposed getting rid of references to the Community action programme in public health. Greek Christian Democrat Antonios Trakatellis explained that such a monitoring system would require independent funding. He also said that the programme, on which he we was the rapporteur, had a reduced financial envelope and a time limit (2007-13), whereas the monitoring system needed a permanent structure.
Almost 235,000 people die every year in the European Union after suffering an accident or injuries linked to acts of violence. Injuries also have a high economic and social cost: they are the cause of almost 7 million hospital admissions and 65 million medical treatments every day. Domestic violence against women is the main cause of death and invalidity among women aged between16-44. (oj)