We strive to reduce avoidable deaths and disabilities due to injuries. Our mission is to connect research, education, and practice to build safer communities through injury prevention in order to avoid injury deaths and to improve quality of life of those injured.
Injuries are a critical public health priority. Globally, injuries claim more than 4.3 million lives each year, imposing a profound social and economic burden. Low- and middle-income countries bear the greatest share of this burden, where injury prevention is often under-prioritised in public health agendas—despite the availability of cost-effective interventions.
India ranks among the countries with the highest numbers of injury-related deaths and disabilities. The impact is especially severe because many injuries affect children and young adults in their most economically productive years. Preventing injuries not only saves lives but also strengthens India’s demographic and economic potential. However, without robust local evidence, the scale, nature, and solutions to injury risks remain poorly understood. Policymakers often lack timely, reliable, and accessible data to inform prevention strategies—either because the evidence does not yet exist, or it has not been synthesised and communicated in actionable ways.
One in 5 injury deaths worldwide were in India worldwide in 2023 (20% of all injury deaths)
Leading causes of injury deaths in India are road injuries, suicide, and falls
The Centre is established to bridge this gap through scientific excellence, policy relevance, knowledge sharing, and strategic collaborations. We are committed to generating, curating, and communicating the best available evidence on injury patterns, their impacts, and proven prevention strategies—empowering decision-makers to act with confidence and urgency.
Our Work Pillars
RESEARCH
We lead research that drives practical solutions to prevent injuries in India and the Global South. Our goal is clear
- Map the epidemiology and impact of injuries.
- Identify what works to reduce harm and save lives.
While we address a wide range of injuries, we place special emphasis on those often overlooked at the population level:
- Suicide
- Drowning
- Gender-based violence
- Occupational injuries
- Injuries from natural disasters
Every project applies a gender lens, ensuring interventions are tailored to the unique risks and needs of both women and men. Through evidence, insight, and collaboration, we turn research into action—making communities safer and more resilient.
EDUCATION
We are committed to strengthening expertise in injury research and safety promotion in India and across the Global South. Our education initiatives will blend a strong public health perspective with scientific rigour, enriched by real-world examples of challenges and successes from the region.
Our opportunities will include:
- Capacity development programs
- Specialised courses
- Webinars and workshops
We aim to design and deliver an Injury Prevention elective for the Masters of Public Health program, and a comprehensive e-learning program in Injury Prevention tailored to meet the needs of diverse stakeholders. Beyond national engagement, we will explore opportunities to contribute to global injury prevention education through strategic partnerships.
PRACTICE
Addressing injuries in India has been hindered by the absence of a coordinated, multi-sectoral, and multidisciplinary approach. We are committed to changing this by fostering collaboration across diverse fields to influence public policy and practice, ultimately preventing injuries and building safer communities.
We are dedicated to ensuring that research findings are translated into real-world impact. Our practice pillar focuses on applying evidence to design, implement, and evaluate interventions that make communities safer. We will work closely with government agencies, non-governmental organisations, community groups, and other stakeholders to:
- Adapt proven interventions to local contexts.
- Pilot and scale innovative injury prevention strategies.
- Integrate safety promotion into existing health and development programs.
Our approach emphasises co-creation—working alongside communities to ensure that solutions are culturally relevant, feasible, and sustainable. Through targeted projects, technical support, and continuous engagement, we will bridge the gap between research and practice—turning knowledge into action that saves lives and reduces injury burdens
Explore Our Current Research
SUICIDE PREVENTION AND SUPPORT SERVICES
Funded by: Mariwala Health Initiative
READ REPORT HEREThis project attempts to address gaps in the current suicide data by providing a more detailed and nuanced understanding that goes beyond the aggregate figures reported by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). While NCRB data serves as a key resource, its aggregate nature, underreporting particularly among women and lack of individual case-level information limits its utility in shaping suicide prevention strategies.
The MHI-funded research project on Suicide Prevention and Support Services (SPSS) included the analysis of existing suicide death data from the nationally representative survey, a new study concentrating on the underlying reasons for such deaths, and the postvention needs of bereaved families in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, the three states with a significant number of suicide deaths in the nationally-representative survey. This research aimed to inform the development of effective suicide prevention and postvention strategies and tailored support systems for survivors, through in-depth interviews with bereaved families. Key objectives included identifying the support needs of families coping with suicide loss, family perceptions of mental health and suicide risk, and potential stigma surrounding suicide.
NIHR Global Health Research Group on Violence Against Women and Violence Against Children
Funded by: National Institute for Health care and Research, UK
Lead collaborators University of Birmingham, UK and University of Cape Town, South Africa
Violence against women and children (VAW/C) are human rights violations that affect many women (one in three) and children (around one billion) worldwide. There aren’t many other health conditions that affect such a large part of the global population and have such devastating effects on people’s well-being and lives. To address VAW/C, there’s a group called the Lancet Commission, of which the study applicants are members. The group is made up of policy makers, researchers, and individuals who have experienced violence themselves, many of whom are from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
However, to date much of the high-quality evidence in this field is derived from Northern hemisphere high income countries where social structures and available services vary substantially, and as noted by three recent systematic reviews, there is limited data describing the incidence and prevalence of VAW/C as well information for what works to prevent violence in LMICs. In order to address this issue, the Lancet Commission on VAW/C (comprised of policymakers, researchers and those with lived experience, many of whom are based in LMICs was formed. It was established to identify best practice in preventing VAW/C globally and identify the evidence gaps in LMICs.
In this context, this is a multi-country project across five countries (South Africa, Mexico, India, Brazil and Sri Lanka) to coproduce with survivors of VAW/C trauma-informed research to help us understand how we can better prevent violence and build local research capacity.
Publications
Krishnamoorthy S, Armstrong G, Ross V, Reifels L, Purdon H, Francis J, Hawgood J, Mathieu S, Kasal A, Crawford A, Gustavson AM, Székely A, Baran A, Erlangsen A, Nemiro A, Curnow C, Reidenberg D, Biechowska D, Arensman E, Quarshie EN, Shand F, Ramirez CM, Zbukvic I, Gullestrup J, McGill K, King K, Vijayakumar L, White L, Barnaby L, Sinyor M, Sokół-Szawłowska M, Van Zyl M, Sisask M, Phillips M, Rezaeian M, Yonemoto N, Pollock N, Jain N, Yip PSF, Qin P, Toczyski P, Dandona R, Gusmão R, Jabr S, Spafford S, Hwang TY, Niederkrotenthaler T, Hegerl U, Poštuvan V, Motohashi Y, Kõlves K. Towards development of guidelines for harnessing implementation science for suicide prevention: an international Delphi expert consensus study. BMJ Public Health. 2025; 3(1):e001206.
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GBD 2021 Suicide Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of suicide, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet Public Health. 2025; 10(3):e189-e202.
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Pandey A, Kumar GA, Dandona R. Methodological concerns in the ‘Economic burden of suicide deaths in India (2019)’. Lancet Reg Health Southeast Asia. 2024; 32:100516.
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Pirkis J, Bantjes J, Dandona R, Knipe D, Pitman A, Robinson J, Silverman M, Hawton K. Addressing key risk factors for suicide at a societal level. Lancet Public Health. 2024; 9(10):e816-e824.
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Dandona R, Khan M. Engagement With Death Registration and Cause-of-Death Reporting to Strengthen Suicide Statistics. Crisis. 2024; 45(4):249-253.
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Pirkis J, Dandona R, Silverman M, Khan M, Hawton K. Preventing suicide: a public health approach to a global problem. Lancet Public Health. 2024; 9(10):e787-e795.
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Sinyor M, Hawton K, Appleby L, Armstrong G, Gunnell D, Kapur N, Chang SS, Arensman E, O’Connor RC, John A, Knipe D, Phillips MR, Pirkis J, Dandona R, Chan LF, Bantjes B, Borges G, McKeon R, Niederkrotenthaler T. The Coming Global Economic Downturn and Suicide: A Call to Action. Nature Mental Health. 2023; in press.
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Dandona R, George S, Kumar GA. Socio-demographic characteristics of women who died by suicide in India from 2014 to 2020: findings from administrative data. Lancet Public Health. 2023;8(5):e347-e355.
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Dandona R, Kumar GA. India’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy: considerations to enhance desired outcomes. Lancet Psychiatry. 2023; 10(3): 162-163.
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Dandona R, Pandey A, Kumar GA, Arora M, Dandona L. Review of the India Adolescent Health Strategy in the context of disease burden among adolescents. Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia. 2023; 20:100283.
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Knipe D, John A, Padmanathan P, Eyles E, Dekel D, Higgins JPT, Bantjes J, Dandona R, Macleod-Hall C, McGuinness LA, Schmidt L, Webb RT, Gunnell D. Suicide and self-harm in low- and middle- income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2022; 2(6):e0000282.
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Arya V, Page A, Spittal MJ, Dandona R, Vijayakumar L, Munasinghe S, John A, Gunnell D, Pirkis J, Armstrong G. Suicide in India during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. J Affect Disord. 2022; 307:215-20.
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Pirkis J, Gunnell D, Shin S, Del Pozo-Banos M, Arya V, al et Dandona R. Suicide numbers during the first 9-15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with pre-existing trends: An interrupted time series analysis in 33 countries. EClinicalMedicine. 2022; 51(-):101573.
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Vijayakumar L, Chandra PS, Kumar MS, Pathare S, Banerjee D, Goswami T, Dandona R. The national suicide prevention strategy in India: context and considerations for urgent action. Lancet Psychiatry. 2022; 9(2):160-8. [PubMed]
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Dandona R, Gunnell D. Pesticide surveillance and deaths by suicide. Lancet Glob Health. 2021; 9(6):e738-e739.
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Dandona R. COVID-19 offers an opportunity to reform mental health in India. Lancet Psychiatry. 2021; 8(1):9-11.
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Arya V, Page A, Amrstrong G, Kumar GA, Dandona R. Estimating patterns in the under-reporting of suicide deaths in India: comparison of administrative data and Global Burden of Disease Study estimates, 2005-2015. J Epidemiol Comm Health. 2020; (online ahead of print)
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Dandona R. Enabling suicide prevention in India: a call to action. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020; 7(1):3-4.
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COVID-19 Suicide Prevention Research Collaboration (includes Dandona R). Suicide risk and prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020; 7(6):468-471.
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India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative Mental Disorders Collaborators (Includes Dandona R). The burden of mental disorders across the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2017. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020; 7(2):148-161.
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Arya V, Page A, Gunnell D, Dandona R, Mannan H, Eddleston M, Armstrong G. Suicide by hanging is a priority for suicide prevention: method specific suicide in India (2001-2014). J Affect Disord. 2019; 257, 1-9.
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Arya V, Page A, Dandona R, Vijayakumar L, Mayer P, Armstrong G. The geographic heterogeneity of suicide rates in India by religion, caste, tribe, and other Backward Classes. Crisis. 2019; 40 (5), 370-374.
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Global Burden of Disease Self-Harm Collaborators (Includes Dandona R). Global, regional, and national burden of suicide mortality 1990 to 2016: systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. BMJ. 2019; 364:l94.
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India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative Suicide Collaborators (Dandona R et al). Gender differentials and state variations in suicide deaths in India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2016. Lancet Public Health. 2018; 3(10): e478-e489.
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Dandona R, Bertozzi-Villa A, Kumar GA, Dandona L. Lessons from a decade of suicide surveillance in India: who, why and how? Int J Epidemiol. 2017; 14: 983–993.
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India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative Road Injury Collaborators (includes Dandona R). Mortality due to road injuries in the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2017. Lancet Public Health. 2020; 5(2):e86-e98. Erratum in: Lancet Public Health. 2020; 5(2):e85.
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Raban MZ, Dandona L, Dandona R. The quality of police data on road traffic crash fatalities in India. Inj Prev. 2014; 20: 293-301.
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Kumar GA, Dilip TR, Dandona L, Dandona R. Burden of out-of-pocket expenditure for road traffic injuries in urban India. BMC Health Serv Res. 2012; 12:285.
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Dandona R, Kumar GA, Ameratunga S, Dandona L. Road use pattern and risk factors for non-fatal road traffic injuries among children in urban India. Injury. 2011; 42: 97-103.
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Schmucker U, Dandona R, Kumar GA, Dandona L. Crashes involving motorized rickshaws in urban India: characteristics and injury patterns. 2011; 42: 104-111.
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Fitzharris M, Dandona R, Kumar GA, Dandona L. Crash characteristics and patterns of injury among hospitalized motorised two-wheeled vehicle users in urban India. BMC Public Health. 2009; 9: 11.
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Dandona R, Kumar GA, Ameer MA, Ahmed GM, Dandona L. Incidence and burden of road traffic injuries in urban India. Inj Prev. 2008; 14: 354-359.
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Dandona R, Kumar GA, Ameer MA, Reddy GB, Dandona L. Underreporting of road traffic injuries to the police: results from two data sources in urban India. Inj Prev. 2008; 14: 360-365.
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Dandona R, Kumar GA, Raj TS, Dandona L. Patterns of road traffic injuries in the vulnerable population in Hyderabad, India. Inj Prev. 2006; 12: 183-188.
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Dandona R, Kumar GA, Dandona L. Risky behaviour of drivers of motorised two-wheeled vehicles in India. J Safety Res. 2006; 37: 149-158.
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Dandona R. Making road safety a public health concern with policy makers in India. Natl Med J India. 2006; 19: 126-133.
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Dandona R, Kumar GA, Dandona L. Traffic law enforcement in Hyderabad, India. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot. 2005; 12: 167-176.
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Dandona R, Mishra A. Deaths due to road traffic crashes in Hyderabad city in India: need for strengthening surveillance. Natl Med J India. 2004; 17: 74-79.
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Kumar GA, Dilip TR, Dandona L, Dandona R. Burden of out-of-pocket expenditure for road traffic injuries in urban India. BMC Health Serv Res. 2012; 12:285.
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Dandona R. Intimate partner violence: will India find effective solutions? Lancet Regional Health – South Asia. 2023; 10:
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Dandona R, Gupta A, George S, Kishan S, Kumar GA. Administrative data deficiencies plague understanding of the magnitude of rape-related crimes in Indian women and girls. BMC Public Health. 2022; 22(1):788
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Dandona R, Gupta A, George S, Kishan S, Kumar GA. Domestic violence in Indian women: lessons from nearly 20 years of surveillance. BMC Women’s Health. 2022; 22(1):128.
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James SL, Lucchesi LR, Bisignano C, Castle CD, Dingels ZV, Fox JT, Hamilton EB, Henry NJ, Krohn KJ, Liu Z, McCracken D, Nixon MR, Roberts NLS, Sylte DO, Adsuar JC, Arora A, Briggs AM, Collado-Mateo D, Cooper C, Dandona L, Dandona R, Ellingsen CL, Fereshtehnejad SM, Gill TK, Haagsma JA, Hendrie D, Jürisson M, Kumar GA, Lopez AD, Miazgowski T, Miller TR, Mini GK, Mirrakhimov EM, Mohamadi E, Olivares PR, Rahim F, Riera LS, Villafaina S, Yano Y, Hay SI, Lim SS, Mokdad AH, Naghavi M, Murray CJL. The global burden of falls: global, regional and national estimates of morbidity and mortality from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Inj Prev. 2020 (Supp 1):i3-i11.
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Jagnoor J, Keay L, Ganguli A, Dandona R, Thakur JS, Boufous S, Cumming R, Ivers RQ. Fall related injuries: A retrospective medical review study in North India. 2011; 43:1996-2000.
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Dandona R, Kumar GA, Ivers R, Joshi R, Neal B, Dandona L. Characteristics of non-fatal fall injury in rural India. Inj Prev. 2010; 16: 166-171.
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Franklin RC, Peden AE, Hamilton EB et al (Includes Dandona R). The burden of unintentional drowning: global, regional and national estimates of mortality from the Global Burden of Disease 2017 Study. Inj Prev. 2020; pii: injuryprev-2019-043484. doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2019-043484.
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Dandona R, Kumar GA, George S, Kumar A, Dandona L. Risk profile for drowning deaths in children in the Indian state of Bihar: results from a population-based study. Inj Prev. 2018; 25 (5), 364-371.
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GBD 2019 Snakebite Envenomation Collaborators (includes Dandona R). Global mortality of snakebite envenoming between 1990 and 2019. Nat Commun. 2022; 13(1):6160.
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Dandona R, Kumar GA, Kharyal A, George S, Akbar M, Dandona L. Mortality due to snakebite and other venomous animals in the Indian state of Bihar: Findings from a representative mortality study. PLoS One. 2018; 13(6).
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GBD 2019 Injuries Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of injuries, and burden attributable to injuries risk factors, 1990 to 2019: results from the Global Burden of Disease study 2019. Public Health. 2024; 237:212-231.
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Kumar GA, Pandey A, Mohan S, Prabhakaran D, Dandona R. Age- and sex-disaggregated disease burden among the older persons in India. BMC Geriatr. 2024 Dec 19;24(1):1019. doi: 10.1186/s12877-024-05614-w.
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GBD Spinal Cord Injuries Collaborators (includes Dandona R). Global, regional, and national burden of spinal cord injury, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.Lancet Neurol. 2023; 22(11):1026-1047.
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GBD 2019 Ageing Collaborators: (includes Dandona R). Global, regional, and national burden of diseases and injuries for adults 70 years and older: systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Study. BMJ. 2022; 376:e068208.
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Dandona R. Public health priorities for India. Lancet Public Health. 2022; 7(2):e102-e3.
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Dandona R. What is in the name? What is our game? Inj Prev. 2022; 28(5):395.
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GBD 2019 Fracture Collaborators (includes Dandona R). Global, regional, and national burden of bone fractures in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet Healthy Longev. 2021; 2(9):e580-e592.
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GBD 2019 Diseases and Injuries Collaborators (includes Dandona R). Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet. 2020; 396(10258):1204-1222.
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James SL, Castle CD, Dingels ZV, Fox JT et al (includes Dandona R). Estimating global injuries morbidity and mortality: methods and data used in the Global Burden of Disease 2017 study. Inj Prev. 2020; 26(Supp 1):i125-i153.
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James SL, Castle CD, Dingels ZV, Fox JT, Hamilton EB et al (includes Dandona R). Global injury morbidity and mortality from 1990 to 2017: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Inj Prev. 2020; 26(Supp 1):i96-i114.
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Dandona R, Pandey A, George S, Kumar GA, Dandona L. India’s disability estimates: Limitations and way forward. PLoS One. 2019; 14(9):e0222159. eCollection 2019.
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GBD 2016 Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Collaborators (Includes Dandona R). Global, regional, and national burden of traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet Neurol. 2018; 18 (1), 56-87.
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GBD 2017 Causes of Death Collaborators (Includes Dandona R). Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality for 282 causes of death in 195 countries and territories, 1980-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. 2018; 392:1736-1788.
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GBD 2017 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators (Includes Dandona R). Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. 2018; 392:1789-1858.
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GBD 2017 Mortality Collaborators (Includes Dandona R). Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality and life expectancy, 1950-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. 2018; 392:1684-1735.
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GBD 2017 DALYs and HALE Collaborators (Includes Dandona R). Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 359 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. 2018; 392: 1859-1922.
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Global Burden of Disease 2016 Injury Collaborators (Includes Dandona R). Global Mortality from Firearms, 1990-2016. 2018; 320: 792-814.
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India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative Collaborators (Includes Dandona R). Nations within a nation: variations in epidemiological transition across the states of India, 1990-2016 in the Global Burden of Disease Study. Lancet. 2017; 390: 2437-2460.
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GBD 2016 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators (Includes Dandona R). Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.
Lancet. 2017; 390: 1211-1259.
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GBD 2016 Causes of Death Collaborators (Includes Dandona R). Global, regional, and national age-sex specific mortality for 264 causes of death, 1980-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet. 2017; 390: 1151-1210.
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