What is the IPCP?
The Injury Prevention and Control Program (IPCP) was established by the Department of Health in 1989 in response to broad community concern and strong recommendation that there be a program at the state level to co-ordinate and support efforts by government as well as community and private organizations to reduce injury morbidity and mortality. The IPCP is the focal point in the Department of Health for injury prevention in communities throughout the state and provides statewide co-ordination and collaboration in all areas of injury prevention for all age groups.
Why Injury Prevention?
Injuries lead to more deaths of children and young adults from ages 1 through 39 years than all other causes combined, including heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Injuries cause more than half of all deaths among children and youth. Regardless of victim age, injury is the fourth leading cause of death and disability. Although the greatest impact of injury is in human suffering, the financial cost is staggering. In Hawai‘i, injury-related hospitalizations cost an estimated $340 million annually. Without exception, preventing injuries is less costly than treating them.
How is the IPCP making a difference?
The functions of the IPCP follow the recommendations of the National Institute of Medicine and the State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors’ Association for core components of a comprehensive injury prevention program in a state health department. The IPCP is responsible for co-ordinating, planning, conducting, and evaluating injury prevention programs; policy development and advocacy; collecting, analyzing and disseminating injury data; and technical support and training.
In moving toward its goal of reducing and preventing injury, the IPCP has woven into its functions a community-based strategy which has proven to be a powerful tool. Through community coalitions and partnerships, the IPCP mobilizes and supports other agencies and community organizations to advance legislation, policy, and educational measures to reduce both intentional and unintentional injuries. This is a cost-effective strategy that successfully increases and focuses community resources on injury prevention, minimizes duplication of effort, and allows the IPCP to maximize benefits from its own resources.
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