Coalition on trauma--trauma prevention and trauma care: presidential address, Trauma Association of Canada.

Injury is the leading cause of death in persons under 40 years of age. The cost to society financially and in nonmonetary terms is enormous. For a successful assault on this major health epidemic, a cooperative effort between those involved in the development of prevention strategies and those involved in the care of the injured patient must develop. For our society to accept some of these prevention strategies, the rights of the community as a whole will have to be allowed to prevail over the rights of the individual. To facilitate this process, a National Advisory Committee on Injury in Canada needs to be formed. Its mandate will be to develop a set of national objectives on injury morbidity and mortality, to establish a national trauma registry, and to implement specific programs--a strategic plan. Only through a coalition of efforts between all groups involved with injury can we hope to lower the prevalence of injury in Canada.