Introduction to Injury Prevention and Control

Injury: A Public Health Problem

More than 146,000 Americans are killed each year as a result of injuries. Another 25 million seek medical attention for injuries annually. As the leading cause of death for Americans from infancy to middle age, the health and social costs associated with the injuries in just one year exceed $180 billion. Yet injuries are one of the most unrecognized public health problems of our time.

What is the UNC IPRC doing about it?

Injury control encompasses a whole constellation of problems, which have different epidemiological and social characteristics. The mission of the UNC IPRC is to stimulate and participate in interdisciplinary research and to facilitate the translation of research into injury control policies and programs for prevention, acute care, and rehabilitation. Through research, teaching, and service activities, IPRC seeks to further understand and prevent injuries in national and international arenas. More simply stated, IPRC is working to build the field of injury control.