ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: Violence kills more than 1.6 million people each year, while millions more are left injured as a result of aggression and suffer from physical, sexual, reproductive and mental health problems, says the first-ever UN report examining the link between health and violence.

The report on violence and health, released by the World Health Organization (WHO), is the first comprehensive study of its kind to address death and disability caused by violent acts. It focuses not only on the scale of the problem, but also covers issues related to the causes of violence and the methods for preventing the problem and reducing its adverse health and social consequences.

In addition to collective violence such as war or conflict, the report examines equally significant yet frequently overlooked issues such as youth violence, child and elderly abuse, intimate partner violence, sexual violence and self-inflicted violence or suicides.

According to the report, violence is among the leading causes of death for people aged 15 to 44, accounting for 14 per cent of deaths among males and seven per cent of deaths among females. On an average day, 1,424 people are killed in acts of homicide - almost one person every minute, while roughly one person commits suicide every 40 seconds.

Armed conflict results in the death of about 35 people every hour; in the 20th century, an estimated 191 million people lost their lives directly or indirectly as a result of war, and well over half of them were civilians.

Studies have shown that in some countries, health care expenditures due to violence account for up to five per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

Offering signs of hope, the WHO report points to opportunities for preventing violence before it occurs, including through preschool and social development programmes for children and adolescents, parent training and support initiatives, and measures to reduce firearm injuries and improve gun safety.