Gun Free SA is proud to be a founding member of the Global Coalition for WHO Action on Gun Violence.
The Coalition, which consists of over 100 organisations from 40 countries, is calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) to treat firearm violence as the preventable public health crisis it is—integrating gun violence prevention into global health frameworks, strengthening trauma care systems, and supporting evidence-based policies to save lives.
In South Africa, guns are the leading weapon used to murder and injure. Gun violence places enormous strain on our healthcare system, yet guns remain systematically marginalised within health policy frameworks both in South Africa and globally.
The WHO has the mandate, reach and authority to change this. With its presence in 150 countries, its power to set global health norms, and its proven track record on violence prevention, the WHO is uniquely positioned to lead coordinated global action on firearm violence.
South Africa knows that reducing gun availability saves lives. When the Firearms Control Act was properly implemented between 2000 and 2010, gun-related deaths halved from 34 people a day to 18. However, these gains have reversed due to dysfunction in firearms management and persistent failures to remove guns in domestic violence cases.
Gun Free SA is coordinating South African participation in the global campaign. The coalition includes organisations working on healthcare and trauma, violence prevention, women’s rights and gender-based violence, disability rights, legal advocacy and research.
Together, we are calling on the WHO to:
- Reaffirm and resource WHO leadership on firearm violence prevention
- Strengthen health-sector responses across the continuum of care
- Integrate firearm violence into WHO’s core violence prevention frameworks
- Address gender-based and youth firearm violence
- Champion a World Health Assembly resolution on firearm violence
Learn more about the global coalition and read the full Call to Action HERE
