Sierra Leone launched its first National Road Safety Policy, Strategic Plan and Trust Fund on 23 November 2013 in Freetown. The documents and the Trust Fund were launched by the Minister of Information and Communications Mr Alpha Kanu, on behalf of the President of the Republic. Delivering the statement of the President, Mr Kanu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the full implementation of the Decade of Action for Road Safety and assured to “give serious consideration to proposals that will enhance the implementation of the National Strategy to achieve the desired goals”.
The function was attended by road safety stakeholders including Government Ministers, Members of Parliament, the police, representatives from state and private institutions, as well as international partners. Statements of commitments and assurance of partnerships to promote road safety were delivered by line ministries and other major stakeholders including the police, Oil Companies and the Sierra Leone Brewery.
Delivering a statement, Dr Teniin Gakuruh, Officer In Charge of the WHO Country Office highlighted the Organization’s response to global road safety and assured of its continued support to improving road safety in Sierra Leone. Dr Gakuruh urged that a continued “political will at the highest level of government is essential to ensure legislation and enforcement of laws” to promote road safety. She further emphasized the need for an increased road user education to reduce the increasing incidences of road traffic crashes in the country.

The Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Road Transport Authority (SLRTA), Dr Sarah Bendu, called on stakeholders and development partners to strengthen their partnership to foster road safety culture among road users in the country.

Although there is weak data on the road traffic situation in Sierra Leone, anecdotal evidence indicates a high trend in fatal road crashes in the country. According to the Sierra Leone Roads Transport Authority, an estimated 1035 fatalities occur on the roads annually. In order to improve road safety and reduce the health and socio-economic burden of road traffic accident in the country, WHO provided technical and financial support to the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, through the Sierra Leone Roads Transport Authority throughout the development of the National Policy and Strategic Plan in line with the United Nations decade of action for road safety 2011-2020. The documents provide a broad framework for road safety management in Sierra Leone.

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For More Information contact:

World Health Organization, 21 A and B Riverside Drive, off King Harman Road, Freetown
Phone : 232-22-233565 , +232-76-777878;

e-mail: whosl [at] sl.afro.who.int (whosl[at]sl[dot]afro[dot]who[dot]int)

Website www.whosierraleone.org