29 May 2018, Dar es Salaam: The 2015 World Health Organization’s Global Status Report on Road Safety reveals that around 1.2 million are killed and 50 million are injured in road crashes.Most deaths occur in LMICs (Low income and middle-income countries) like the Tanzania. 

Speaking at the official launch of the Road Safety Journalism Training Fellowship, the Guest of Honour, Dr. Hassan Abbasi stressed the role of journalists in sensitizing the society on issues related to road safety crisis in order to take necessary precautions on reducing road crashes thus saving people’s lives. 'I urge you my fellow journalists to use your pen well to make sure road crashes are reduced in the country or eradicated', said Dr. Abbasi.

He used the platform to train journalists present on the new roles of media other than the traditional roles of informing, educating and entertaining.  He mentioned new roles such as; as watchdogs, being critical , facilitative and assuming a supportive role. He called upon the media practitioners to be cautious and ethical on their daily activities as far as reporting on road safety issues is concerned adding that the government is ready to support the media in carrying out their activities.

Dr. Abbas who also is the Chief Government Spokesman, said that WHO has done a good job to organize this very important training that will change the traditional reporting of road crashes to the carrying out of analytical articles that will be a platform to develop mitigation measures against road  road crashes.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mohamed Ali Mohamed from the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children said that road crashes are to be avoided at any cost for they cause a huge burden to the  government in terms of  treating and taking care of people involved in a crash apart from the loss of lives due to road accidents. He noted down the major risk factors of road crashes as drinking and driving, lack of use of seat belts, lack of child restraints, over speeding and not wearing helmets for motorcyclists and their passengers. Dr. Mohamed pointed out that the media has got a great role to play in order to reduce road crashes.

WHO  National Professional  Program Officer, Mary Kessi gave an over view concerning Road Safety Journalism Training Fellowship 2018 that includes journalists who were carefully selected from various media houses ranging from public or government owned to the private ones across the country.

She said the program will last for six months where intensive training will take place and fellows assisted by their mentors will do practical field sessions.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, a representative from the Tanzania Traffic Police Force, ASP Mbunja Matibu said that through collaborative efforts, road crashes have been significantly reduced in the past one year compared to the previous years, something that is commendable.

The launching was followed by a three days training in Dar es Salaam facilitated  by Elena Altieri, Communication Officer   from WHO in collaboration with Beatrice Obwocha, a journalist from Kenya. During this training, fellows were instructed on data journalism, shift from road crashes to solution reporting, five risk factors and interventions, global road safety facts as well as data story outline.

This is the third Road Safety Journalism Training Fellowship to be conducted in Tanzania by the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children in collaboration with WHO. Seventeen fellows are involved in this training under the close supervision and support from various mentors.