Positioning North Carolina for leadership in injury control: a call to action

For most types of injury and violence, mortality and morbidity rates in North Carolina are worse than those of the nation. The costs in lives and dollars are enormous. The state has not provided the necessary resources for tackling the problem, devoting barely $6 per death to preventive efforts and failing to ensure that the public health workforce is adequately trained. At the same time, North Carolina has numerous excellent academic and community-based resources that can enable further capacity development. This article suggests the following 6 key steps for moving the state forward to prevent injury: making a serious financial commitment, training practitioners, supporting safety-promotion initiatives, creating a stronger culture of safety, addressing disparities, and improving data systems.