The global health institution said those policies must promote sustainable transportation systems, improved legislative road safety frameworks, investment in data management systems, improved post-crash response, and research tailored to the continent’s unique challenges.

It further stressed that the policies must be targeted at dealing with a myriad of factors that triggered road crashes, including lethargic enforcement of traffic laws, potholed roads, speeding and drunk driving and limited safety education targeting road users.

WHO made the call as part of recommendations of its 2023 status report on road safety in the African region, which was launched in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, last Tuesday.

Findings

The report indicated that Africa had become an epicentre of deaths arising from road crashes, exerting strain on the continent’s public health infrastructure and threatening efforts to attain SDG 3.6 – halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030.

For instance, the report established that although the continent accounted for 15 per cent of the global population and three per cent of vehicles, it recorded 20 per cent of all road crash deaths in the world.

Again, the report revealed that road traffic death rates in the past decade had increased significantly in the African region, with almost 250,000 lives lost on the continent’s roads in 2021 alone.

Specifically, from 2010 to 2021, deaths from road crashes in Africa increased by 17 per cent, while the global rates fell by five per cent.

It added that males aged between 15 and 64 years were the main victims of road traffic crashes, with vulnerable road users, such as motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians, being the worst affected.

Lapses

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.”

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.

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

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.

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”.

“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.

Action

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.