A violent situation exists in the developing countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.? This state of affairsDr Marcelo Korc,PAHO Advisorwas substantiated by the Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014 which reveals that these territories have the world’s highest homicide rates.In the Report which was released yesterday in Geneva,Cheap Jerseys USA, Switzerland, seeks to establish that a substantial amount of homicides committed in low and middle income countries were carried out with the aid of firearms.The revealing publication is one that was produced through the collaboration of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. It saw participation from 21 out of 35 Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) member countries.Among the findings, the Report estimates that 165,617 deaths in the target countries were due to homicide, and three-quarters of these were carried out with firearms (data for 2012). This translates into 28.5 homicides per 100,000 population, more than four times the global homicide rate (6.7 per 100,000) and more than twice the rate of developing countries in Africa, which have the world’s second-highest regional homicide rate (10.9 per 100,000).”As a group,Wholesale NFL Jerseys Online, developing countries in the Americas share the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of lethal interpersonal violence in the world,” said Dr. Marcelo Korc, Advisor on Sustainable Development and Human Security at the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). “Many of our member countries are taking steps to address this violence, but it remains a huge challenge to implement effective prevention and treatment programmes to lower these rates and reduce the tremendous suffering they represent.”Among other findings about the Region of the Americas,China Soccer Jerseys, the new report shows that the highest WHO-estimated homicide rates were in Honduras (103.9 per 100,000), Venezuela (57.6 per 100,000), Jamaica (45.1) and Belize (44.7). The lowest homicide rates were in Canada (1.8 per 100,Cheap Jerseys,000), Antigua and Barbuda (4.4) and Chile (4.6) while the highest estimated rates of homicide by firearms were in Venezuela (90 per cent), Guatemala (86 per cent), Honduras (84 per cent), Colombia and Panama (80 per cent), and El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago (77 per cent).It was found too, that firearms are also predominantly used in intimate partner homicides in the Americas. It was therefore established that both globally and in the Americas,China NFL Jerseys, 30 per cent of ‘ever-partnered’ women report having experienced physical or sexual violence, or both, at some point in their lives.This situation prevails although a higher proportion (76 per cent) of countries of the Americas have national action plans to reduce violence than in any other WHO region. This includes 91 per cent with plans to reduce child maltreatment, 86 per cent with plans to reduce intimate partner and sexual violence, and 71 per cent with plans to reduce youth violence.Highlighted in the Report is the interesting fact that while all countries in the Americas have laws regulating firearms less than two-thirds have special firearms control programmes such as gun buy-backs or firearms collection and destruction programmes.In order to reduce levels of violence, the Report recommends 18 “best buy” programmes, including:?programmes to reduce the availability and harmful use of alcohol; laws and programmes to reduce access to firearms; school-based programmes to teach children and adolescents “life-skills” such as non-violent conflict resolution; efforts to change gender norms that are supportive of violence against women; programmes to improve parenting in families at risk of violence and public information campaigns to prevent elder abuse.“One of the conclusions that can be drawn from this Report,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, is that we continue to need more and better data on interpersonal violence, and this is true of the Americas as well as other regions,” said Korc. “It is critical to know the dimensions and specific characteristics of interpersonal violence to better inform policymaking and the design of effective plans and programmes. To really work, plans have to be based on good data.”PAHO, founded in 1902, is the oldest international public health organization in the world. It works with its member countries to improve the health and the quality of life of the people of the Americas. It serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of WHO an