Injuries took 2.1 million lives in the Western Pacific Region and the South-East Asia Region in 2021. Injuries can result from traffic collisions, drowning, poisoning, falls or burns, and violence from assault, self-inflicted or acts or war. The magnitude of the problem varies considerably across countries and territories by cause, age, sex, and income group. However, injury deaths and disability, both intentional and unintentional, are largely preventable events.
In 2021, injuries accounted for over 3 500 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 100 000 population across all ages in low-middle- and low-income countries in the Asia-Pacific region (Figure 3.19). Notably, Mongolia and Thailand recorded over 4 500 DALYs per 100 000 population from injuries in the same year. In contrast, the burden of injuries was significantly less upper-middle- and high-income countries in the region, with an average rate of 2 700 and 2 400 DALYs per 100 000 population.
Injuries can cause severe disability by damaging the body’s tissues, organs, or systems in ways that result in long-term or permanent impairments. For example, traumatic injuries to the spine or brain can lead to paralysis, cognitive deficits, or loss of motor function, while injuries to limbs might result in amputation or chronic pain, all of which limit a person’s ability to perform daily activities, work, or engage in social interactions. Injuries accounted for over 1 200 years lived with disability (YLDs) per 100 000 population across all ages in high-income countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific in 2021 (Figure 3.20). New Zealand and Australia experienced more than 1 500 YLDs per 100 000 population due to injury in 2021. In comparison, YLDs in upper-middle-, and lower-middle- and low-income countries were significantly lower, at 540 and 596 per 100 000 population, respectively.
Road traffic crashes represented the highest burden on death and disability of all injuries in upper-middle- and lower-middle- and low-income Asia-Pacific countries and territories in 2021, responsible for approximately a third of DALYs from injuries (Figure 3.21). In DPRK, Bangladesh, China and Nepal, 35% or more of all injury DALYs were due to road traffic crashes.
In high-income countries, falls were the leading cause of death and disability of all injuries in 2021 (Figure 3.21). As the burden is often concentrated in older adults, population ageing can cause more incident cases and deaths from falls as people live longer. In Australia and Singapore, falls contributed to over 30% of all DALYs from injury in 2021. In upper-middle- and lower-middle- and low-income Asia-Pacific countries and territories, the share of DALYs from falls was half the rate of that in high-income and OECD countries.
Intentional injuries accounted for approximately a quarter of DALYs from falls in 2021. This share was 40% in Korea, and over 30% in Mongolia, the Solomon Islands and the Philippines. Interpersonal violence was the main cause of intentional injuries in the Philippines, while in Mongolia and the Solomon Islands this can be attributed to self-harm.
