The Lancet Commission on Global Gun Violence and Health has been officially launched to examine and address a global health crisis that has not yet gained widespread recognition: guns as a risk factor and danger to human health and well-being around the world. Chaired by Dr. Adnan Hyder, Senior Associate Dean for Research & Innovation, and Professor of Global Health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, USA and Co-Chaired by Dr. Lorena Barberia, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of São Paulo, Brazil, the Commission brings together international experts representing various disciplines including public health, economics, law, medicine, history and political science, as well as voices from civil society, regions and the non-governmental sectors.
In their Comment published in The Lancet on September 4th, the team announced their aim to combine the best of research and practice to translate research findings, ensure participation of civil society, and catalyze evidence-informed action at local, national, regional, and international levels. The research agenda will respond to a number of evidence gaps on global gun violence and health including measuring the mortality and morbidity burden, assessing economic impacts, gathering evidence on interventions that mitigate the health consequences of guns, analyzing the influence of international gun policies, and identifying key threats to controlling the health consequences of guns worldwide. In addition, concerns around equity, social determinants and gender will influence the analysis of the commission.
Dr. Hyder reflected that, “this commission is the first one on this critical health and development issue from the Lancet and we hope will help bring global attention to this cause of ill health”. Furthermore, “we hope to bring multi-disciplinary perspectives and a global evidence base to bear on this critical issue for governments and societies around the world”, said Dr. Barberia.
The Commission will engage and welcome input from academics, policymakers and civil society to amplify its impact on global gun violence and health.
The experts who currently make up the commission include:
- Naeemah Abrahams, Chief Specialist Scientist, Gender and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council
- Philip Alpers, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney
- David Bishai, Director and Clinical Professor in Public Health, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong
- Lorena Barberia, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of São Paulo
- Sandro Galea, Dean and Robert A. Knox Professor, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston University
- Stephen Hargarten, Professor, Emergency Medicine; Founding Director, Comprehensive Injury Center; Senior Science and Policy Advisor, Medical College of Wisconsin
- Adnan Hyder, Senior Associate Dean for Research & Innovation, Professor of Global Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University
- Sandra Ley, Distinguished Professor at the School of Social Sciences and Government, Tecnológico de Monterrey
- Robert Muggah, Research Director & Program Coordinator for Violence reduction, Igarapé Institute, Brazil
- Mohsen Naghavi, Professor of Health Metric Science, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. University of Washington, USA
- Binalakshmi Nepram, Fellow, Asia Centre, Harvard University; Founder and Director, Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network; Convener, Global Alliance of Indigenous Peoples, Gender Justice and Peace
- Iain Overton, Executive Director, Action on Armed Violence
- Jennifer Tucker, Professor of History of Technology, Science, and Law, History Department (Wesleyan University); Founding Director, Wesleyan University's Center for the Study of Guns and Society.
For more information on the commission, please contact Dr. Aisha Jafri at [email protected].