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August 2023 News
15th Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference
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The Australasian Injury Prevention Network (AIPN) are pleased to invite you to the premier injury prevention conference for Australia, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and the Asia Pacific, the 15th Australasian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference with the theme: Weaving knowledges for injury prevention and safety promotion; creating a new way together. The conference is to be held at the Sir Morrison Howard Centre in Rotorua, Aotearoa New Zealand, 11-13 March, 2024.
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Weaving is a cultural practice shared amongst many Indigenous groups and is used in our conference theme to symbolise the coming together of multiple knowledge systems to create something new, strong, and connected. Injury is a cross cutting issue that has impacts beyond just the ‘classic’ injury prevention paradigms and is relevant to housing, climate change, urban health, suicide prevention, family violence, employment, alcohol and drug and product safety for example. We invite attendees from all backgrounds and disciplines, across government portfolios, clinicians, practitioners, industry, researchers and communities to join us in coming together to learn from each other in reimagining injury prevention and safety promotion.
The Conference is expected to attract delegates from around Australia, Aotearoa (NZ) and the Asia Pacific, including health professionals, researchers, local, state and federal government officers, students, professionals and practitioners.
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We look forward to welcoming you to Rotorua, in March 2024. Abstracts will be opening shortly.
Remembering Dr Leif Svanstrom (1943 – 2023)
Dr Leif Svanstrom was a larger-than-life character who dedicated his life to reducing injury and trauma through sound science and effective social intervention. Leif had a vision to change the world, understanding that injury and trauma had physical, psychological, social, cultural and economic dimensions. Leifs contribution was global however he had significant collaborations in Australia and New Zealand.
He established the biennial World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, as well as the International Safe Community movement of 435 communities with a population footprint of 90 million.
Immense gratitude is owed to Leif for his vision which saved countless lives, through our roles we can all honour Leif’s legacy.
Read more about the significant contribution Leif made here.
Commissioners Interpretation Statement: Health Promotion Charities
The AIPN was disappointed that injury has not been included in the definition of diseases as part of the Commissioner’s Interpretation Statement of a Health Promotion Charity released by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission on 30 June 2023. AIPN has been advocating for a revision of the definition on behalf of its members and participated in consultation activities in 2022.
The Commissioner’s Statement outlined, “ Injury is not included in the definition of ‘diseases’. Therefore, an HPC cannot have a principal activity of promoting the prevention or the control of injury. However, diseases may arise from an injury. An HPC can have a principal activity of promoting the prevention or control of a disease that results from an injury. For example, a fractured spine is an injury, not a disease. But paraplegia is a disease which can result from a fractured spine. An HPC may have a principal activity of promoting the prevention or the control of diseases which arise from a fractured spine."
The AIPN is disappointed that activities that prevent injury do not meet the requirements to be classified as a Health Promotion Charity, as this severely restricts the ability of Not-for-Profit organisations to attract funding from philanthropic bodies resulting in greater dependency on government grants.
The AIPN position remains that the Australian Government needs to recognise the prevention of injury as a priority and that the Health Promotion Charities definition needs to extend beyond disease to include the prevention of injury. A copy of the statement can be found here.
AIPN Member Spotlight
Who you are, where you work/used to work/field/expertise?
My name is Dr Dale Hanson. I am a retired Emergency Physician and adjunct Associate Professor with James Cook University College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences. I have diverse interests including: community-based Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, Social Network Analysis and complex adaptive theory. From 2017 until 2022 I was the Chair of the International Safe Community Certifying Centre.
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How did you get into Injury Prevention?
I was appalled by the frequency and severity of injury preventing to my Emergency Department. Prevention is better than cure.
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What is your favourite part of being involved with the AIPN?
Sharing information across the social boundaries separating researchers, practitioners, administrators and political leaders. This is critical for the development of real-world population-based injury prevention and safety promotion interventions.
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A fact about yourself that most people wouldn't know
I am no actor, but have a dramatic bent. When asked to present at the opening plenary session of the 12th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion in Tampere Finland, I presented a one-man play about John Snow, the Broad Street pump and the 1854 cholera epidemic in Soho London. The typical public health version of this story is a myth. I wanted to make people think about what really happened.
Dr Dale Hanson
Member Survey
The AIPN would like to gather more information about our members to support the strategic priorities of the network. Please take five minutes to complete the following member survey.
Events
Kidsafe WA Child Injury Prevention Symposium – Growing Up Safely on Farms
The countdown is on until Kidsafe WA’s Farm Safety Symposium, bringing together injury prevention practitioners, regional health professionals, and farming families to share their experience and knowledge of raising children safely in farming environments. Tickets are $30, including morning tea and lunch
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Presenters Announced: Hear from a range of speakers with vast experiences in farm safety research, injury prevention programs, WHS practices, and real-life experiences of growing up on a farm.
1.       Dr. Richard Franklin – Kidsafe Australia (Keynote Presentation)
2.       Dr. Neil Ballard – Ballard Cleaning Co.
3.       Julli Gaunt – WorkSafe
4.       Royal Life Saving Society of WA – Keep Watch Program
5.       Danielle McNamee – ProcessWorx
Date: Wednesday 9 August 2023
Time: 9:30am - 3:30pm AWST
Location: Northam
Ballardong Noongar Country
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If you missed any of the webinars hosted by AIPN this month its not too late. You can catch up with them online.
Run in partnership with Injury Matters and the Public Health Association Australia this expert panel discussion explored the future directions for injury prevention in Australia and opportunities to improve collaboration among injury researchers, policy makers and practitioners. If you joined the webinar and have not had a chance to fill out the survey, please take a moment to do so here.
Next Steps for Injury Prevention Webinar
Alcohol and Injury Prevention
Led by the AIPN Alcohol and Other Drugs Sub-Committee, this webinar was hosted in partnership with Injury Matters and invited speaker Peter Miller, Professor of Violence Prevention and Addiction Studies at the School of Psychology at Deakin University. Professor Miller shares the latest findings from his research on alcohol policy, licensed venues, and violence, and explores practical strategies and advocacy opportunities for alcohol and injury prevention. If you joined the webinar and have not had a chance to fill out the survey, please take a moment to do so here.
Reports & Publications
Kidsafe WA have recently released the Childhood Injury Report: Farm Injuries. Between July 2012 and June 2022, there were 106 farm-related injury presentations to Perth Children’s Hospital Emergency Department (PCH ED). While this accounts for a small percentage of total injury presentations to PCH ED, farm-related injuries tend to be more serious in nature and have a higher rate of hospital admission for further treatment. This report provides a snapshot of farm-injuries to children in WA and highlights common causes of farm-related injuries.
Childhood Injury Report: Farm Injuries 2012 – 2022
Public Consultations
National Consumer Engagement Strategy for Health and Wellbeing
The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care have procured the Mitchell Institute at Victoria University, in partnership with Consumers Health Forum, to develop the National Consumer Engagement Strategy for Health and Wellbeing (NCESHW).
The Mitchell Institute has developed a draft NCESHW for public consultation. This draft Strategy is based on feedback gathered through extensive consultations with a diverse range of stakeholders and consumers, and based on reviews of national and international evidence. The feedback received from this consultation will be used to finalise the draft NCESHW.
The Consultation on the draft NCESHW is now live on the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care’s Consultation Hub.
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Consultation closes 4 September 2023.
Opportunities
AIPN Student Sub-Committee
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Are you a passionate student looking to make an impact in injury?
Are you eager to shape the student member experience, advocate for change, and contribute to AIPN activities? Look no further! We invite you to become a valued member of our Student Sub-Committee.
If you are interested in getting involved contact communications@aipn.com.au
Join the Scientific Committee
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The Executive Committee are seeking members to join the scientific committee to support the organisation of the conference. In particular, we are seeking a co-chair and general committee members. Members of the scientific committee is responsible for evaluating and selecting high-quality research submissions, organising scientific sessions, and ensuring the overall scientific excellence of the conference.
If you are interested in getting involved please email conference@aipn.com.au
National Road Safety Action Grants Program
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The Australian Government has committed $43.6 million to deliver the National Road Safety Action Grants Program (NRSAGP) over four years from 2022-23. The NRSAGP provides non-infrastructure grants to deliver the implementation of the National Road Safety Action Plan 2023-25.
Applications close 11.59pm 25/08/2023.
Advances in First Nations Injury
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Injury Epidemiology, a peer-reviewed open access journal dedicated to advancing the scientific foundation for injury prevention and control will include a collection that addresses Advances in First Nations Injury.
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The journal is seeking articles from First Nation Government and non-Government Organisations, First Nation Elders, health professionals (including health workers and practitioners) and researchers (including postgraduate student researchers), or non-Indigenous researchers working on programs and research with and for First Nation communities.
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Submission deadline: 14 November 2023.
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Conferences
The ANZBA meeting theme for 2023 is “Towards Zero”. We all imagine a future with zero burns, zero complications, zero scars, zero inequity, zero patient impact and zero waste. Local and international speakers and delegates will come together to address these ‘towards zero’ themes from a clinical, research, and consumer perspective.
ANZ Burns Association Annual Scientific Meeting 12- 15 September
2023 ASICS Sports Medicine Australia Conference 11-14 October
The 2023 ASICS SMA Conference is a unique multidisciplinary event, and includes representation from medical practitioners, allied health professionals, academics, students, and others interested in sports medicine. The rich array of professions is reflected in the Conference program, and fosters collaboration and knowledge exchange across the disciplines.
The 10th Biennial Australia and New Zealand Falls Prevention Conference (ANZFP) will for the first time be run as a joint conference with the World Congress on Falls and Postural Stability at the Perth Convention Centre, from the 26-28 November 2023. ANZFP is an initiative of the Australian and New Zealand Falls Prevention Society (ANZFPS). The 1st World Congress on Falls and Postural Stability was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in December 2019-joint initiative of the Malaysian Society of Geriatric Medicine and the British Geriatrics Society.
ANZ Falls Prevention Society and World Falls Congress 26-28 November
World Conference on Drowning Prevention 4-7 December
This globally significant event will focus world attention on drowning prevention. WCDP 2023 will gather experts in drowning prevention, lifesaving and water safety with the goal of Shaping Global Strategy and Mobilising for Action.
Australasian Road Safety Conference 19-21 September
Join Australasia’s leading road safety and injury prevention researchers, practitioners and policy makers for the Australasian Road Safety Conference 2023.
ARSC 2023 will be held in Cairns, QLD and online to accommodate delegates from anywhere in the world. This hybrid format will bring together road safety stakeholders and decision-makers from Australasia and international jurisdictions to facilitate collaboration and share information.