NOLA FOR LIFE PLAYbook

Violence is a leading cause of injury, disability, and death.  Since 1979, New Orleans’ annual murder rate has consistently been seven to eight times higher than the national average.  Violence is also a significant health disparity.  In New Orleans, 93% of all murder victims are African American.  Furthermore, violence increases risk for a multitude of health and social problems and compounds disparities in chronic disease.

 In response to the epidemic of violence, the public health approach has emerged as a promising practice nationwide.  This approach has been adopted in New Orleans, where the local health department has led the development of a strategic plan to prevent youth violence.  Based on stakeholder input, the local health department adopted a collective impact approach to address the issue of youth violence, with the local health department serving as the backbone organization to coordinate prevention activities, collect data about youth violence, and communicate results with partners.

 The local health department now supports a range of initiatives to promote positive, safe, and healthy relationships and communities.  These prevention strategies have been integrated within NOLA FOR LIFE, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s comprehensive murder reduction strategy.  With a focus on addressing trauma, they include efforts to prevent school violence, prevent family violence, and build public health capacity to sustain prevention activities.