Africa needs to urgently address the remarkable height of road traffic accident in the continent. World Health organization reported that Africa's road traffic accident rate is the highest in the world. This is partly attributable to the rapid rate of motorization in many developing countries that has occurred without a concomitant investment in road safety strategies and land use planning. While road traffic fatality rates are decreasing in some high-income countries, the rapid increase in road traffic crashes in low- and middle income countries has driven an overall global increase in deaths and injuries.
Indeed, current trends suggest that road traffic injuries will become the fifth leading
cause of death by 2030, with the disparity between high- and low-income countries
further accentuated.
Nonetheless, evidence from many countries shows that dramatic successes in preventing road traffic injuries can be achieved through concerted efforts at national level. A number of countries, such as Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United
Kingdom have achieved steady declines in road traffic death rates through coordinated, multi-sectoral responses to the problem. Such responses involve implementation of a number of proven measures that address not only the safety of the road user, but also vehicle safety, the road environment and post-crash care. We need to act now. Who else can inform us on urgent HSE issues Africa need to address.
