Assessing violence and injury prevention plans, strategies and indicators in eighteen Pacific Islands countries: an environmental scanResearch in context

Summary: Background: Similar to many other resource poor settings, due to competing priorities, injury is often neglected in the Pacific Islands despite being a prevalent cause of death and disability. This study identifies, and synthesises existing plans and strategies, and assesses progress against indicators for the prevention of violence and injury in 18 Pacific Islands nations to identify gaps and highlight opportunities. Methods: An environmental scan of known government repositories and Google Advanced was conducted to identify publicly available documents describing/evaluating national-level injury prevention strategies and plans in the Pacific Islands. Data were extracted on the strategy/plan, country, government department responsible, indicators and related progress. Findings: We identified 44 relevant documents. Most were published in more resourced countries (e.g., Fiji, Cook Islands) and described strategies/plans relating to traffic injury, injury from natural disaster and/or intimate partner violence. No strategies/plans to prevent injury mechanisms of drowning, falls, suffocation, burns, or electrocution were identified. Progress against only one indicator was reported for road traffic injury in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Interpretation: This study suggests that there would be benefit in Pacific Islands nations to develop more robust data systems to assess progress against indicators of existing strategies and plans for traffic-injury, natural disaster and intimate partner violence. Development of strategies and implementation plans to address neglected injury areas such as drowning and falls which account for a significant burden of injury in the Pacific Islands is also recommended. Funding: This work was funded by the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific (RG 221962)