The World Health Organisation (WHO) has emphasized the urgent need for Ghana and other African countries to implement comprehensive policies and measures to reduce the number of road accidents, injuries, and deaths by 2030. This aligns with Target 3.6 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In a recent report released by WHO, it was recommended that these policies focus on sustainable transportation systems, enhanced legislative road safety frameworks, investment in data management systems, improved post-crash response, and research tailored to Africa’s unique road safety challenges.
The report highlighted that Africa has become a hotspot for road crash fatalities, accounting for 20% of global road crash deaths despite having only 15% of the global population and 3% of vehicles. Shockingly, nearly 250,000 lives were lost on African roads in 2021 alone, with a 17% increase in road crash deaths on the continent from 2010 to 2021, while global rates decreased by 5%.
Males aged between 15 and 64 years were identified as the main victims of road traffic crashes in Africa, with vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians being the most affected. The report attributed this rise in road accidents to factors such as inadequate road safety laws and standards, lack of investments in alternative transport modes, and insufficient post-crash care services in most African countries.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, expressed deep concern over the preventable loss of hundreds of thousands of lives due to road accidents in African countries. He reiterated WHO’s commitment to collaborating with countries to address this serious public health issue and make roads safer for all users.
To address the burden of road accidents, WHO representative Abdourahmane Diallo emphasized the importance of revamping transport infrastructure, retraining motorists, and implementing safety education programs targeting motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists.
