A reflection on 10 World Safety Conferences Leif Svanström Karolinska Institutet Dept Public Health Sciences Stockholm, Sweden

Injury Prevention Research in Sweden started Berfenstam/Ehrenpreis Since then an undertaking of Academic Social Medicine Uppsala, Lund- later Umeå, Linköping, Gothenburg and Karlstad Leif Svanström Karolinska Institutet Dept Public Health Sciences Stockholm, Sweden

Since the 60´s there was a need to connect to other researchers around the World and finally the idea on a conference series was established. Leif Svanström Karolinska Institutet Dept Public Health Sciences Stockholm, Sweden

There was an attempt from Australian collegues to organize a world- wide Conference by the end of 1980´s- but failed. We at Karolinska Inst took over the idea and September almost 500 participants from around 50 countries met in Stockholm. Leif Svanström Karolinska Institutet Dept Public Health Sciences Stockholm, Sweden

The first world conference on accident and injury prevention. Stockholm, September Leif Svanström Karolinska Institutet Dept Public Health Sciences Stockholm, Sweden

Leif Svanström Karolinska Institutet Dept Public Health Sciences Stockholm, Sweden

The first world conference on accident and injury prevention. Stockholm, September Leif Svanström Karolinska Institutet Dept Public Health Sciences Stockholm, Sweden

The first world conference on accident and injury prevention. Stockholm, September Themes of the Stockholm Conference

Statement of the Stockholm Conference 1989

Recommendations: 1. Formulate Public Policy for Safety 2. Create Supportive Environments for Safety 3. Strengthen Community Action 4. Broaden Public Services Statement of the Stockholm Conference 1989

10 International Conferences during two decades 1. Stockholm, Sweden Atlanta, USA Melbourne, Australia Amsterdam, The Netherlands New Delhi, India Montreal, Canada Vienna, Austria Durban S Africa Merida, Mexico London, UK 2010

10 International Conferences- some lessons(1) 1. Possible to arrange a series of conferences- 20 years is a short time 2. Crucial with input from the WHO and some few scientific centres 3. Raised national interest, activities and pride 4. Attracted some professionals but not all (as we hoped for)- very few occupational, transport, violence etc. Great variation of research quality. 5. Difficult to attract geographically from conference to conference

10 International Conferences- some lessons (2) 6. Policy-wise more reflecting WHO change in ideology than reflecting researchers initiatives 7. From intents to develop gutter strategies to traditional downpipes(intra-sectoral activities) (intersectoral approaches difficult) 8. Great difficulties establishing NGO of researchers and activists so far 9. Pre- and post conferences (satellites) more of a problem than a possibility? 10. Practitioners- how will they be reached with the results?

10 International Conferences- some personal final conclusions (1) 1. Researchers are normally no good policy-makers Policy-makers are normally no good researchers- two conferences in one? 2. S C evidence-based injury prevention should take its starting point in the health promotion sciences rather than in Medical Sciences 3. The audience we are working with are more technocrats than democrats 4. Probably the reason we find so very few national Injury Prevention/ Safety Promotion programmes 5. Money counts- those who needs the science/knowledge are not there

10 International Conferences- some personal final conclusions (2) 6. Stop fighting between the very few journals we have in the family- get others on board! 7. Participation should be a reflection of available research! Rich countries with many centres should share! 8. WHO-ideology and priorities dominate the plenaries and is hardly present in the smaller sessions 9. Innovations from smaller presentations/session hardly reach the plenaries 10. Many of You are hard-working idealists and policy- makers- thanks for being with us to form a safer future; 20 years was fun and I will miss You!