By Joyce Ojanji
Despite the recently launched World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Regional Road Safety Status Report, there is still much room for improvement, presenting a worrying trend where road traffic death rates have surged in Africa over the past decade.
Notably, no country in Africa currently meets best practice standards for key road safety behavioral risk factors, such as speeding, drunk driving, and the non-use of motorcycle helmets, seat belts, and child restraints.
Road crashes, though largely preventable, remain a persistent global health crisis, with pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users facing an acute and rising risk of death.
In Kenya, according to the report, road traffic injuries are ranked as the ninth leading cause of death. Besides the fatalities, hundreds of thousands are seriously injured every year in road crashes, leading to suffering, long-term impairments, and lifelong disabilities.
In this regard, policymakers, traffic police officers, health officials, pedestrians, the media, and motorists, among others, have vital roles to play in improving road safety.
According to Kenya’s Public Health Principal Secretary, Harry Kimutai, the ministry is keen on strengthening emergency services for victims and improving data collection, policy development, and the implementation of preventive activities.
The Ministry has also included reducing road traffic injuries as a strategic objective in the Health Policy 2014-2030. It has also equipped public hospitals with advanced diagnostic technologies and essential drugs to effectively manage road crash victims.
The Ministry launched the Emergency Care Policy in 2021 to establish a vibrant Emergency Medical Care System in pre-hospital care. This aligns with the fifth pillar of the Decade of Action for road safety strengthening of post-crash care.
“We continuously train health care workers on trauma care and are particularly keen to ensure that it involves adopting modern technologies. The Ministry is training communities on pre-hospital care to ensure that the seventh strategic priority of the National Road Safety Action Plan ‘’post-crash care’’ is implemented effectively with the health sector taking a leading role.”
The Ministry of Health (MoH) reiterated that the public health sector has a mandate to continue strengthening emergency services for victims, improving data collection, contributing to policy development, and participating in the development and implementation of prevention activities. These ‘reinforcements’ will ensure the reduction of the burden of road traffic injuries as one of its strategic objectives in the Health Policy 2014-2030.
MoH also lauds the establishment of an emergency, chronic, and critical care fund, saying it will offer financial protection for victims of road traffic crashes in emergency settings. According to the report, plans are underway to implement a trauma registry that will provide an accurate account of the injuries resulting from road crashes.
George Njao, Director General of the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), highlighted the importance of allocating funds and resources to support road safety measures and post-care, thus ensuring the victims received the support they needed to reintegrate into society.
“The government unveiled the comprehensive plan with measures to enhance pedestrian safety, promote non–motorized transport, and achieve a 50 percent reduction in road traffic fatalities. The plan set goals and targets through a concerted effort spearheaded by government and various stakeholders,’’ he said.
Plans
Kenya aims to improve funding of lead agency functions and targeted safety interventions that address national priorities through the financial provisions of the National Transport and Safety Authority Act 2012 and other financing opportunities.
The country is focusing on improving current road safety interventions, aiming to attain 50% fatality and injury reductions and paying particular attention to enhancing the safety of vulnerable pedestrians and motorcyclists.
It will focus on:
Infrastructure safety- Improve the road network’s safe classification, design, and use. Scale-up safety engineering measures in designated high-risk demonstration corridors and urban areas, emphasizing setting safe speed limits and providing enhanced protective features for all users (safety barriers, pedestrian platforms, refuges, roundabouts, traffic calming, etc.).
Vehicle safety standards and compliance-Develop and implement regulations that align vehicle safety and environmental standards with global best practices. Prioritize procedures to manage the importation of second-hand vehicles from other countries and establish compliance regimes that ensure vehicle inspection and certification at the point of entry to the country on a fee-for-service basis. Assess options and procedures for the scrappage of older vehicles.
Improve the enforcement of unsafe road user behaviors, using a general deterrence approach supported by targeted promotion campaigns, significantly to reduce speeding, increase the appropriate use of quality helmets, decrease alcohol use, and establish norms around pedestrian crossings. Change cultural/behavioral norms through this integrated multi-faceted approach.
Particular focus will be given to scaling up traffic safety enforcement operations and promotional campaigns in designated high-risk demonstration corridors and urban areas to target speed reductions, the increased use of quality helmets, and reduced alcohol use.
Post-crash services- Improve the provision of post-crash services across the full spectrum of emergency response, crash scene injury diagnosis and stabilization, fast transport to hospitals or treatment centers, effective emergency and trauma care, and longer-term rehabilitation. Particular focus will be given to reducing crash response times and improving victim recovery and rehabilitation services in designated high-risk demonstration corridors and urban areas
Road safety database, monitoring, and evaluation systems- Improve the road safety data collection and analysis system to enhance its functionality and accessibility, starting with improved recording and input of crash data as reported by Police, accurate geo-referencing of crash locations, and enhanced diagnostic tools.
