World Health Organisation (WHO) has underscored the urgent need for Ghana and other African nations to adopt comprehensive policies and strategies aimed at reducing road traffic accidents, injuries, and fatalities by 50% by 2030, in line with Target 3.6 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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The WHO emphasized that these policies should focus on fostering sustainable transportation systems, strengthening legislative road safety frameworks, investing in data management, enhancing post-crash response, and conducting research specific to Africa's unique challenges.

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The organization highlighted that these policies must address various factors contributing to road crashes, such as inadequate enforcement of traffic laws, poor road conditions, speeding, drunk driving, and limited road safety education.

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This call for action is part of the recommendations from the WHO’s 2023 road safety status report for Africa, which was presented in Nairobi, Kenya, last Tuesday.

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The report revealed that Africa has become a major hotspot for road traffic fatalities, placing a heavy burden on the continent's public health system and impeding progress toward SDG 3.6, which aims to halve global road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.

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Despite representing 15% of the global population and having only 3% of the world's vehicles, Africa accounted for 20% of global road traffic deaths. The report also noted a troubling rise in road traffic deaths over the past decade, with nearly 250,000 fatalities recorded in 2021 alone.

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From 2010 to 2021, road traffic deaths in Africa increased by 17%, while the global rate decreased by 5%. The report further indicated that men aged 15 to 64 are the primary victims of these accidents, with motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians being particularly vulnerable.

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The report attributed the rise to multiple factors, including inadequate road safety laws and standards, indicating: “no country in the region currently has laws that meet the best practice standards for the five key road safety behavioural risk factors - speeding, drink driving, non-use of motorcycle helmets, seatbelts and child restraints.”

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It added that limited investments in alternative modes of transport, including cycling and walking, had fuelled road-related fatalities on the continent, with 13 per cent of countries having national strategies to promote walking or cycling.

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“These so-called multimodal transport systems have been determined to be more equitable and environmentally friendly, and safer for road users,” the report added.

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The report added that post-crash care services in the region were inadequate or unavailable in most countries - fewer than one-third have services that met recommended levels of access to pre-hospital care, emergency care, and treatment and rehabilitation services.

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The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said the findings of the report pointed to a serious public health concern for African countries, “with hundreds of thousands of lives being lost unnecessarily”.

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“As WHO, we’re committed to working hand in hand with countries to tackle this preventable threat and continue to fully support all efforts to make our roads safer for motorists and pedestrians alike,” he said.

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The WHO representative in Kenya, Abdourahmane Diallo, stated that for Africa to reduce the burden of road accidents, countries needed to revamp transport infrastructure, retrain motorists, and promote safety education targeting motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

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