The public health context of violence in Colombia El contexto sanitario de la violencia en Colombia
OBJECTIVE: Among the countries of the Americas, Colombia has the highest level of deaths due to homicides and armed conflict. The objective of this research was to combine and contrast information from various sources on deaths due to violence in Colombia in order to identify major trends in violenc...
Main Authors: | , |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English Spanish Portuguese |
Published: |
Pan American Health Organization
2004
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doaj.org/article/8dfd67de97e84d1b96811f48407fecf7 |
Summary: | OBJECTIVE: Among the countries of the Americas, Colombia has the highest level of deaths due to homicides and armed conflict. The objective of this research was to combine and contrast information from various sources on deaths due to violence in Colombia in order to identify major trends in violence in the country and to compare those trends with those in other nations of the Americas. METHODS: We drew together information from a wide array of sources, including the Government of Colombia, Colombian forensic institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and international research centers. We considered the impact of the violence on mortality as well as in such areas as nonfatal injuries, displacement of persons, and kidnappings. RESULTS: While there have been many deaths in Colombia directly related to military conflict, there have been many more deaths and injuries as an indirect result of war. The highest levels of deaths directly related to violence occurred during the 1990-1995 period. Although deaths due directly to armed conflict declined in the late 1990s, the related events of kidnappings and displacement did not. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to reduce the violence-related suffering in Colombia must consider both direct and indirect causes of mortality as well as nonfatal outcomes such as kidnappings and displacement. OBJETIVO: De los distintos países del continente americano, Colombia tiene el más alto porcentaje de muertes por homicidios y conflictos armados. El objetivo de esta investigación ha sido combinar y contrastar información obtenida de diferentes fuentes sobre la violencia en Colombia con el fin de identificar las principales tendencias que muestra la violencia en el país y comparar dichas tendencias con las observadas en otros países del continente. MÉTODOS: Recogimos información de una gran variedad de fuentes, entre ellas el Gobierno de Colombia, institutos forenses colombianos, organizaciones no gubernamentales y centros de investigación internacionales. Examinamos el impacto de la violencia ... |
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