Accra, 5 February 2007 -- Delegates from 37 African countries will meet in Accra, Ghana this week to discuss road safety on the continent and what can be done to reduce the growing number of road traffic deaths.

Experts in road safety from transport, health, education, law enforcement, academics, foundations, nongovernmental organizations, the media, and civil society will gather to review the progress made by African countries in improving road safety, share lessons learnt and develop strategies to address road safety in the region.

More than 1.2 million people are killed on the road annually. Up to 50 million more are injured or disabled. Africa is the region with the worst death rate from road traffic crashes - 27 deaths per 100 000 population - compared with the global average of 19 per 100 000 population. The vast majority of road users killed in Africa are vulnerable road users; pedestrians, cyclists and passengers of public transport.

Unless there is a concerted, multisectoral response to this public health and development problem, WHO predicts that by 2030, road traffic injuries will be the 7th leading cause of death in low-income countries primarily due to increasing economic growth and consequent accelerated motorization. However, there are proven ways of reducing both the likelihood and severity of road traffic injuries.

Interventions which address speed, alcohol, seat-belt and helmet-wearing combined with some low cost infrastructural changes and improved pre-hospital and emergency medical services have been shown to be very effective in many developed countries as well as some selected African countries. For instance, in Ghana, the building of speed bumps on a busy road lead to a 55% reduction in fatalities and a 76% reduction in serious injuries on that road; a new traffic accident reporting system in Ethiopia has allowed the traffic police to do systematic crash data analysis; the Arrive Alive campaign in South Africa has resulted in an average annual 7.4% reduction in deaths since its inception; and emergency medical care training in Rwanda as well as Cote d'Ivoire, Mali and Benin will save the lives of many seriously injured road traffic victims.

This road safety conference, which is jointly organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), is expected to strengthen road safety collaboration across the region and help organize regional efforts to implement policies and programmes using good practices. In addition, delegates will discuss African preparations to celebrate the First United Nations Global Road Safety week planned for 23-27 April 2007. The theme for the week is "Young Road Users" and the slogan for the event is "Road Safety is no Accident".

"Every death or severe injury due to a road traffic crash has disastrous consequences not only for the persons directly involved in the event, but for their family, friends, classmates and colleagues. Each severe crash is an emotional and economic disaster for an entire African community. It is time for action", says Dr Luis Sambo, Regional Director for the WHO Regional Office for Africa.

For more information contact:

Dr Olive Kobusingye

Regional Advisor, Violence, Injuries & Disability 

WHO Regional Office for Africa 

Harare, Zimbabwe 

Tel: +47 241 38316 

Fax: +47 241 38004 

E-mail: kobusingyeo [at] whoafr.org