Correspondent: Roosa Tikkanen, the Commonwealth Fund
Falls are the most common form of injury leading to death in Sweden. Recent statistics from the National Board of Health and Welfare in Sweden show that in 2016, a thousand deaths resulted from fall injuries, and this number has been steadily increasing since 2000. What’s more, 69,000 individuals were hospitalized as a result of falling. The Director-General of the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare has described falls as a “public health problem” and called for a more structured approach to finding solutions. The Swedish government held a nationwide public education campaign in October entitled “Balance More” that included tips to prevent fall injuries in daily life.