ABSTRACT
Worldwide, violence causes more than 1.6 million deaths every year. More than 90% of these occur in low-and middle-income countries. Violence is one of the leading causes of death in all parts of the world for persons ages 15 to 44.3 As noted by the World Health Organization (WHO), precise estimates of the cost of violence are difcult to obtain. According to WHO, the cost of violence translates into billions of U.S. dollars in annual health care expenditures worldwide, and billions more for national economies in terms of days lost from work, law enforcement, and lost investments. The human cost in grief and pain cannot be calculated. Much of the grief and pain is almost invisible. WHO contends that much more violence occurs in the homes, the workplaces, and even medical and social institutions than in terroristic activities. Many of the victims are too young, weak, or ill to protect themselves.
