Dear friends,

We have today got the information that our old friend and the founder of
The International Safe Community Movement, Professor Leif Svanström, has
left us last night in an age of nearly 80 years.

Leif Svanström was a very important person in Social Medicine during many
years in Sweden, and community based safety promotion in the world. He was
the leading professor and Chair of the Association for Social Medicine. He also
was engaged many times by the National Swedish Government and by the
Medical experts for the National Board of Health and Welfare as an adviser
in medical questions.

He was the chair of the Planning Committee for the First World Conference
on Accident and Injury Prevention in Sweden in 1989 and Chair of the safe
community movement until 2017 when he left the movement because of health
reasons. His collaboration with the world health organisation (WHO) during
his leading time has made a great impact on expanding the safe community
idea around the world.
We all remember him as a strong and charismatic leader. He always was
listening carefully to all arguments and after had taken position he stood
fast.

Stockholm January 29th of January

Reza Mohammadi, Chair
Guldbrand Skjönberg, General Manager
International Safe Community Certifying Center