Using data to drive action on violence prevention

This spring, Dr. Greta Massetti delivered the 18th Annual Harper Lecture at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, focusing on a critical challenge in violence prevention: how to turn population data into national action.

Drawing on work from VACS and the INSPIRE framework, the lecture highlighted how rigorous data can do more than measure violence. It can shape policy, drive investment, strengthen accountability, and accelerate prevention efforts.

The talk also underscored a growing global challenge: at a time when public health systems and data infrastructure face increasing pressure, protecting investments in data and evidence is essential to preventing violence and improving health outcomes for children and adolescents worldwide.

At the INSPIRE Evidence Lab, this principle guides our work every day: data should not simply document problems. It should drive action.

Learn more about the lecture here: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/events/2026/04/22/18th-annual-harper-lecture-using-population-data-to-accelerate-national-action-to-prevent-and-respond-to-violence