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Understanding the Impact of Small Arms on Global Public Health

Annual Call for Projects 2001

Summary

General context:

This project is a partnership comprised of three Geneva-based organizations, and a number of international collaborators (to be identified during Phase 1 of the project). The Geneva-based organizations include the World Health Organization (WHO): Injuries and Violence Prevention Department, the Graduate Institute of International Studies (GIIS): Small Arms Survey (SAS) project and the University of Geneva: Institute for Legal Medicine.

The project aims to document and better understand the public health effects associated with the widespread availability and misuse of small arms. Despite recent international efforts to address this issue such as the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects held in New York in July 2001, in many parts of the world there is still a lack of basic information on the health impacts of small arms on individuals and societies. A methodologically rigorous and comprehensive examination of the phenomenon and effects of armed violence will be essential to understanding the full range of impacts associated with the use and misuse of these weapons and developing evidence-based preventive interventions.

Objectives:

• To compile and analyse mortality, morbidity, disability, and socio-economic data to better characterise the scale of impacts arising from weapon use;

• To obtain more detailed information on the magnitude of the small arms problem and risk factors for armed violence through surveys or surveillance;

• To examine impacts cross-nationally to obtain a more accurate global appraisal;

• To disseminate results through reports, publications, and professional networks and to enhance research capacity for coordinating institutions and local partners;

• To facilitate the development of existing academic and professional networks focused on health issues related to the impact of small arms and light weapons;

• To build local capacity to ensure sustainability beyond the life of the project.

Methodology:

The project will be conducted in two phases:

Phase 1

An international workshop will be held in Geneva, co-hosted by WHO/SAS/Institute for Legal Medicine to create an international steering committee composed of specialists from international health and academic institutions. The workshop will define appropriate methodologies and elaborate an implementation plan for the pilot project.

Two likely countries for the pilot project are Brazil and Mozambique. Survey and surveillance methodologies will be applied to obtain appropriate small arms data including a complete delineation of the context of weapon injuries and their impacts. Experience from the pilot work will guide phase 2 methods. The pilot study will:

• foster relationships between Geneva-based organizations and academic institutions;

• field test and refine appropriate methodologies for surveys and surveillance;

• generate data on the magnitude and scope of the health impact of small arms;

• build local capacity for the collection of survey and surveillance data; and

• lead to the dissemination and publication of research findings.

Phase 2

Armed Violence Prevention programme (AVPP)

Based on the findings of the phase 1 work, and informed by a visible shift at the First and Second Biennial Meetings of States to review implementation of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms which identified working on reducing demand for weapons as an area of the Programme of Action, discussions began with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to build upon the phase 1 work. These discussions have led to a formal collaboration between WHO and UNDP on the Armed Violence Prevention Programme which goes beyond description of arms-related death and injury and focuses more broadly on the prevention of armed violence in settings where rates of armed violence are high. 

The overall objective of this programme is to promote effective responses to armed violence through support for the development of an international policy framework founded on a clear understanding of the causes, nature and impacts of armed violence, and best practices generated from violence reduction and prevention initiatives to date.

Specific objectives include:

To contribute to strengthening national capacities to address armed violence from a human security and development perspective;

To promote institutional synergies and partnerships on armed violence prevention at the international and regional levels, and the development of informed strategies and policy frameworks for assistance.

Activities within this programme will combine the operational capacity of UNDP and benefit from the technical expertise of WHO and focus on reducing armed violence by targeting activities within four broad areas:

    1. National policy environment;

    2. Capacity development (civil society and government) to monitor             progress and develop more evidence-guided violence prevention         strategies;

    3. Direct support and evaluation of selected violence prevention                 initiatives;

    4. Contribution to more integrated approaches within international             community.

The programme will take place in two stages. The first stage, already underway, involves activities at country and global levels. At the country level, documentation of armed violence prevention programming in Brazil and El Salvador is in progress, supported by technical and policy dialogue with national interlocutors to strengthen capacities to prevent armed violence. Documentation of violence prevention programming will be followed by evaluation of promising interventions in each setting. At the global level, a comprehensive desk review is underway to examine of the scope of armed violence impacts, prevention programming, relevant stakeholders, and develop recommendations for more coherent international engagement with the prevention of interpersonal forms of armed violence.

The second stage will develop on the basis of a consultative review among donors and key stakeholders of first phase results. It is anticipated that this second stage will target additional countries with less experience with armed violence prevention and requiring more extensive inputs based on understandings and strategies developed in the first stage.

At the conclusion of the programme, all findings will be consolidated and shared across settings and within appropriate regional and global fora.


The grant provided by the GIAN for this project totals SFr 250,000

> See shorter summary

Project Team

Ms Maria Fernanda Tourinho Peres , Associated Member, University of São Paulo .

Research Output

Firearm-Related Violence in Brazil
(available in Portuguese and English)
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Firearm-Related Violence in Mozambique
(available in Portuguese and English)
> more