NATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST VIOLENCE

November 26, 2003 – (OneWorld.net) One in four women in Macedonia is victim of physical violence, while one in two is subjected to psychological violence, was the statement that marked the beginning of the national campaign against violence.

The injuries and the violence in Macedonia are on a constant rise and are now the third ranking cause of death in the country. The most frequent cause of death in the world is cranial trauma, followed by the abdominal injuries and strangling. In 2002, a total of 750 people died in Macedonia of consequences of physical injuries, which amounts to 4.4% of the total number of deaths, said Deputy Minister of Health Nikola Panovski at the promotion of the National Campaign Against Violence, held yesterday.

The involuntary inflicted injuries dominate the list, accounting for 71% of the total number 27% injuries of them are caused in traffic accidents, 9% were homicides, while suicides amount to 20%.

Over 25% of the women in Macedonia were victims of physical violence, while 61% were subjected to psychological violence.

“Although they are victims of violence quite often, only 20% of the mistreated women report it to the Police, and only about 10% would go and seek medical care”, said the President of the Organization for Emancipation, Solidarity and Equality of Women (ESE), Biljana Gerasimovska-Kitanovska.

The physical injuries and poisonings are the third most common cause of death in the country, following the cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

“The violence is a global and universal public health problems which endangers the lives, the health and the wellbeing of all people. The goal of the first Global Report on Violence is to expose the secrecy, the taboo and the sense of inevitability of violent behavior and to promote the debate for greater understanding of this problem”, emphasized Panovski.

Therefore, it would be necessary to implement research activities with separate target groups and to prepare a national report which will be used as the starting point in the preparation of strategy and action plan for prevention of violence and physical injury.

This campaign, which will end on December 10, is organized by the Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Open Society Fund-Macedonia, ESE and the State Health Bureau.

From: http://www.oneworld.net/article/view/73665/1/