These are all competing public health priorities. All competing for limited available public health resources. Injury is the leading caused of death for those under the age of 45. And it is the fourth leading cause of death overall in the United States. About 150,000 deaths every year.
Trauma cuts across all of society.
The injured person is not someone else. The injured patient is you, your child, your spouse, your parent. The average age of injury victims is 20. According to 1990 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traumatic injury was responsible for approximately 3.7 million years of potential life lost. In contrast, cancer was responsible for 1.8 million years of potential life lost.