argument can be applied specifically to violence involving the use of firearms. They argue that the perception of a threat to personal safety and human dignity creates fear, particularly among the powerless and the weakest in society. Fear undermines people’s ability to function normally in the family, at school or at work, or simply when moving about in the local community.5 In other words, violence creates social anxiety and reduces the capacity to improve social and economic conditions.
Healthcare workers are confronted daily by the dramatic consequences of firearm-related injuries through the death and mutilation of individuals and families, and the mental scarring of the victims and those close to them.5
Firearms as the Primary Cause of Death
As part of the National Crime Prevention Strategy, the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (DACST) has provided funding for research on violence and injury in South Africa. The Violence and Injury Surveillance Consortium is currently undertaking such research by establishing a surveillance system which will monitor injury and violence patterns. The primary research partners include the Medical Research Council (Health Consulting Office and the National Trauma Research Programme), the University of South Africa’s Institute of Health and Social Sciences, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The Department of Health’s Directorates of Epidemiology, Mental Health and Substance Abuse, and Health Information Systems and Research are also involved. The United States Centres for Disease Control offers technical assistance to the project team.
The National Non-natural Mortality Surveillance System has been established at a selection of mortuaries throughout South Africa. This system records details of deaths seen at these mortuaries (including demographic details about the deceased, the cause and manner of death and the activities of the victims at the time of the incidents). Deaths due to natural causes, such as disease, are not included. Data from ten of these mortuaries in five provinces have been analysed and the findings with respect to the involvement of firearms are presented below.
The graph below shows the primary medical cause of death for cases registered at the ten mortuaries.
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