20 Years of Keeping Children Safe


	“Every day in the emergency room, I see the victims of accidents that I think are preventable,” says Dr. Stefanie Märzheuser, President, Safe Kids Germany, which works to keep children out of emergency rooms — or worse. Its parent organization, Safe Kids Worldwide®, is 20 years old and in 17 countries. Preventing Injuries Around the Globe Dr. Märzheuser regularly treats children who have fallen from windows or been hit by cars. “I see the suffering child and the crying mom, and every single one of these injuries inspires me to go on with my work,” says Dr. Märzheuser, senior physician, Charite Hospital, Berlin. In 1997, Dr. Märzheuser co-founded Safe Kids Germany. The group is part of the U.S.-based Safe Kids Worldwide® network, the first and only non-profit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional child injuries worldwide. More than 700,000 children under age 15 die from injuries around the world each year. Johnson & Johnson is founding sponsor of Safe Kids Worldwide® and has supported the organization for 20 years and in April 2008, Johnson & Johnson was recognized by the U.S. State Department as the first corporate recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy for its work with the Safe Kids Worldwide® program. Today, Safe Kids Worldwide® addresses child safety in 17 countries: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and the United States. Programs vary according to the priorities of each country. For example, the Vietnam program provides free helmets to children, since 90 percent of road transportation occurs on motorcycles; South Africa conducts a buckle-up campaign, because most children don’t wear seatbelts. Lives Saved In the United States, accidental injuries are the leading cause of death for children 14 and under and claim more than 5,300 lives each year. The top killers are traffic-related — including bike and pedestrian accidents — drownings, burns and suffocation. Since Safe Kids Worldwide® the United States has seen a 45 percent reduction in the childhood death rate that, according to the Center for Disease Control, translates into 38,000 lives saved. A grassroots network, Safe Kids® has more than 600 coalitions and chapters across the United States. Thousands of professionals and volunteers undertake activities such as inspecting car seats to make sure they’re properly installed and teaching children pedestrian and bike safety. Safe Kids® also spearheads public policy and legislation efforts, including a federal pool safety bill that passed in 2007 in the U.S. House of Representatives and was signed by the president. “It’s often a low-tech, low-cost solution that is needed to save children’s lives,” says Dr. Martin Eichelberger, co-founder, Safe Kids Worldwide® and Director of Emergency Trauma & Burn Services, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Dr. Eichelberger helped start Safe Kids® because he’d watched too many children suffer injuries or die from preventable accidents. He met and inspired Dr. Märzheuser when she was a young resident at Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. She says Dr. Eichelberger encouraged her to start Mehr Sicherheit für Kinder®/Safe Kids Germany. Dr. Märzheuser is also inspired by her own children, ages, 10, 7 and 6. “Having kids and wanting to protect them makes it very important for me to work with Safe Kids Germany,” she says. “I want them to grow up safe.” Safe Kids® Company Initiatives

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20 Years of Keeping Children Safe

	“Every day in the emergency room, I see the victims of accidents that I think are preventable,” says Dr. Stefanie Märzheuser, President, Safe Kids Germany, which works to keep children out of emergency rooms — or worse. Its parent organization, Safe Kids Worldwide®, is 20 years old and in 17 countries. Preventing Injuries Around the Globe Dr. Märzheuser regularly treats children who have fallen from windows or been hit by cars. “I see the suffering child and the crying mom, and every single one of these injuries inspires me to go on with my work,” says Dr. Märzheuser, senior physician, Charite Hospital, Berlin. In 1997, Dr. Märzheuser co-founded Safe Kids Germany. The group is part of the U.S.-based Safe Kids Worldwide® network, the first and only non-profit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional child injuries worldwide. More than 700,000 children under age 15 die from injuries around the world each year. Johnson & Johnson is founding sponsor of Safe Kids Worldwide® and has supported the organization for 20 years and in April 2008, Johnson & Johnson was recognized by the U.S. State Department as the first corporate recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy for its work with the Safe Kids Worldwide® program. Today, Safe Kids Worldwide® addresses child safety in 17 countries: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and the United States. Programs vary according to the priorities of each country. For example, the Vietnam program provides free helmets to children, since 90 percent of road transportation occurs on motorcycles; South Africa conducts a buckle-up campaign, because most children don’t wear seatbelts. Lives Saved In the United States, accidental injuries are the leading cause of death for children 14 and under and claim more than 5,300 lives each year. The top killers are traffic-related — including bike and pedestrian accidents — drownings, burns and suffocation. Since Safe Kids Worldwide® the United States has seen a 45 percent reduction in the childhood death rate that, according to the Center for Disease Control, translates into 38,000 lives saved. A grassroots network, Safe Kids® has more than 600 coalitions and chapters across the United States. Thousands of professionals and volunteers undertake activities such as inspecting car seats to make sure they’re properly installed and teaching children pedestrian and bike safety. Safe Kids® also spearheads public policy and legislation efforts, including a federal pool safety bill that passed in 2007 in the U.S. House of Representatives and was signed by the president. “It’s often a low-tech, low-cost solution that is needed to save children’s lives,” says Dr. Martin Eichelberger, co-founder, Safe Kids Worldwide® and Director of Emergency Trauma & Burn Services, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Dr. Eichelberger helped start Safe Kids® because he’d watched too many children suffer injuries or die from preventable accidents. He met and inspired Dr. Märzheuser when she was a young resident at Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. She says Dr. Eichelberger encouraged her to start Mehr Sicherheit für Kinder®/Safe Kids Germany. Dr. Märzheuser is also inspired by her own children, ages, 10, 7 and 6. “Having kids and wanting to protect them makes it very important for me to work with Safe Kids Germany,” she says. “I want them to grow up safe.” Safe Kids® Company Initiatives

“Every day in the emergency room, I see the victims of accidents that I think are preventable,” says Dr. Stefanie Märzheuser, President, Safe Kids Germany, which works to keep children out of emergency rooms — or worse. Its parent organization, Safe Kids Worldwide®, is 20 years old and in 17 countries.

Preventing Injuries Around the Globe
Dr. Märzheuser regularly treats children who have fallen from windows or been hit by cars. “I see the suffering child and the crying mom, and every single one of these injuries inspires me to go on with my work,” says Dr. Märzheuser, senior physician, Charite Hospital, Berlin.

In 1997, Dr. Märzheuser co-founded Safe Kids Germany. The group is part of the U.S.-based Safe Kids Worldwide® network, the first and only non-profit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional child injuries worldwide. More than 700,000 children under age 15 die from injuries around the world each year.

Johnson & Johnson is founding sponsor of Safe Kids Worldwide® and has supported the organization for 20 years and in April 2008, Johnson & Johnson was recognized by the U.S. State Department as the first corporate recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy for its work with the Safe Kids Worldwide® program.

Today, Safe Kids Worldwide® addresses child safety in 17 countries: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and the United States.

Programs vary according to the priorities of each country. For example, the Vietnam program provides free helmets to children, since 90 percent of road transportation occurs on motorcycles; South Africa conducts a buckle-up campaign, because most children don’t wear seatbelts.

Lives Saved
In the United States, accidental injuries are the leading cause of death for children 14 and under and claim more than 5,300 lives each year. The top killers are traffic-related — including bike and pedestrian accidents — drownings, burns and suffocation. Since Safe Kids Worldwide® the United States has seen a 45 percent reduction in the childhood death rate that, according to the Center for Disease Control, translates into 38,000 lives saved.

A grassroots network, Safe Kids® has more than 600 coalitions and chapters across the United States. Thousands of professionals and volunteers undertake activities such as inspecting car seats to make sure they’re properly installed and teaching children pedestrian and bike safety. Safe Kids® also spearheads public policy and legislation efforts, including a federal pool safety bill that passed in 2007 in the U.S. House of Representatives and was signed by the president.

“It’s often a low-tech, low-cost solution that is needed to save children’s lives,” says Dr. Martin Eichelberger, co-founder, Safe Kids Worldwide® and Director of Emergency Trauma & Burn Services, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, D.C.

Dr. Eichelberger helped start Safe Kids® because he’d watched too many children suffer injuries or die from preventable accidents. He met and inspired Dr. Märzheuser when she was a young resident at Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. She says Dr. Eichelberger encouraged her to start Mehr Sicherheit für Kinder®/Safe Kids Germany.

Dr. Märzheuser is also inspired by her own children, ages, 10, 7 and 6. “Having kids and wanting to protect them makes it very important for me to work with Safe Kids Germany,” she says. “I want them to grow up safe.”

Safe Kids®
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