SYDNEY, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Childhood injury is the leading cause of death in Australian children, according to a report released Tuesday, with the hospital admissions more than double than those of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes combined.
The report's authors have called on the Australian federal government to invest in a national injury prevention plan, after they revealed that it cost the government 2.1 billion Australian dollars (1.58 billion U.S. dollars) over the past 10 years to treat the 680,000 children that have been hospitalised.
Professor Kate Curtis at the University of Sydney said on Tuesday that the previous injury prevention plan expired three years ago and that Australia needs to "urgently reduce the burden of suffering and deaths arising from childhood injuries."
"Childhood injury rates haven't reduced over the past 10 years, while deaths have increased from 108 to 149 deaths per year,"
"An injury can happen in the blink of an eye and can be life-changing. Even when their wounds have healed, injured kids often face ongoing issues such as chronic pain, physical limitations and psychological issues," she added.
The report showed that for the ten-year period between 2002 and 2012, the leading cause of death for children aged one to 16 was injury, with 1,759 children dying throughout that period.
Furthermore, there were 686,409 hospitalisations for children due to injury over that period, while deaths to children following their hospitalization have also increased year on year.
Those who live in lower socioeconomic areas were more likely to suffer injuries, according to the data, when compared to children who are found in more affluent living conditions.
