Promoting Well Being

In 2002 the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) published Investing for Health (IFH), the public health strategy for Northern Ireland. This strategy provides the framework for the Government’s approach to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities.

Investing for Health sets out clear goals ‘To reduce accidental injuries and deaths in the home, workplace and from collisions on the road’.

It set targets to:

• reduce the death rate from accidents in people of all ages by at least one fifth between 2000 and 2010
• reduce the rate of serious injuries from accidents in people of all ages by at least one tenth between 2000 and 2010.

As a result of IFH, a number of strategic documents have been put in place to drive action across the three main settings where people spend most of their time or are considered to be most at risk:

The Five Year Home Accident Prevention Strategy (NI)
Published by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in January 2005.

Ten Year Road Safety Strategy (NI)
Published by the Department of the Environment in 2002.

A Long-Term Workplace Health Strategy for Northern Ireland
Published by Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment in March 2003.

With shared focus on these settings and by working collaboratively across the various Government Departments and Agencies, together with other voluntary and community-based organisations the Government will strive to:

• Modify Behaviour
• Change the Environment
• Change Legislation

in order to reduce accidents.