Montreal—Is "safety" a human right?
Attendees at the World Health Organization (WHO) Conference on Injury
Prevention and Control think so. This spring, they approved the Montreal Declaration: People's Right to Safety.
The 11-article document, which could be adopted by the United Nations,
states: "Safety is a fundamental right. It is essential for the attainment
of health, peace, justice, and well being."
Worldwide, nearly 6 million people die annually from unintentional injuries,
making trauma the second leading cause of death after cardiovascular diseases.
Road injuries, suicide, homicide, war, drowning, fire, and intoxication are
the most frequent causes of injury death. And while many would say such deaths
are often accidental, others disagree, arguing that someone or something created
the environment that made the injury possible.
Many in the health care community believe most injuries can be avoided.
This opinion led the British Medical Journal to ban
inappropriate . . . [Full Text of this Article]
