LAUSR

The recent piece by Mamun and colleagues highlighting genderbased violence (GBV), specifically sexual violence, in Bangladesh is particularly timely due to rising rates of GBV globally secondary to the pandemic [1,2]. Recommendations highlighted by Mamun and colleagues rightly include methods to improve the detection of GBV in victims/survivors as well as reduce its secondary negative consequences [3]. However, we wish to also highlight that a strong public health approach to managing GBV (consisting of 1) improving surveillance, 2) understanding risk/protective factors, 3) adopting and evaluating interventions and 4) implementing tangible policy actions), [2] must also focus on population based primary/secondary preventative approaches targeted towards both perpetrators and victims. The current state of data accuracy on victims/survivors in administrative records indicate substantial under-recording when compared to national surveys; unfortunately, perpetrator data recording is even more scarce [3,4]. Improving capture of this information would provide more intervention opportunities for our public sector services, in addition to implementation of targeted preventative reform measures. Therefore, improving surveillance of perpetrators should occur alongside evidence-based interventions targeted at