WHO Safe Community

WHAT IS A SAFE COMMUNITY?

Safe Communities is a World Health Organisation (WHO) concept that recognises safety as a “universal concern” and a responsibility for all. The Safe Communities model creates an infrastructure in local communities to increase action on injury prevention and safety promotion through the building of local partnerships. 

Over 100 communities throughout the world are designated as an International Safe Community of the WHO Safe Community Network. Six of these are in NZ (Waitakere, Waimakariri, New Plymouth, Whangarei, Wellington & North Shore) and a number of other areas are supporting injury prevention coalitions to achieve accreditation. 

Accreditation is important as it provides recognition for the efforts of the various organisations and individuals working together to design and implement strategies to promote safety and reduce the incidence and/or severity of injury in their population. It serves as an indication of a level of achievement within the field of safety promotion and injury prevention.

NPiS ACCREDITATION

Early in 2005, NPiS and the New Plymouth District Council formally agreed to work together to apply for New Plymouth District to become officially accredited as an International Safe Community based on criteria developed and endorsed by the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety Promotion. 

Criteria for becoming an accredited International Safe Community include having an infrastructure governed by a cross-sectoral group and running long-term sustainable injury prevention programmes that cover both genders, all ages and all environments and situations. 

Following preparation and submission of an extensive application document, a site visit by WHO representatives was conducted in New Plymouth on 12 and 13 September 2005. Just over one month later, on 27 October 2005, the New Plymouth District was designated the 95th International Safe Community. 

To find out more about becoming accredited as an International Safe Community visit the Safe Communities Foundation NZ website: safecommunities.org.nz