Partners To Halt Deaths on The Road

Brenda Yufeh

22 June 2011

Every six seconds, someone is killed or seriously injured on the world’s roads.

With 1.3 million road-related deaths each year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative to Cameroon, Dr Charlotte Faty Ndiaye says this is a global epidemic comparable to Malaria or Tuberculosis. And like those killer diseases, she added, road crashes prey on the young, the poor and the vulnerable. Yet by comparison to other global killers, road injuries are utterly neglected.

This is why on wednesday, June 22 in Yaounde, the Minister of State, Minister of Transport, Bello Bouba Maïgari, on behalf of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, joined a global call by the United Nations and launched the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, during which international agencies, Civil Society Organisations, private companies and road users were encouraged to plan and host events that will strengthen road safety measures along major roads in the country.

Speaking in the presence of the Central African Republic Minister of Water and Hydraulics, Leopold Mboli Fatran, the Chadian Secretary of State, Mahedié Outman Issa and scores of government ministers, members of the diplomatic corps and related partners, Bello Bouba Maïgari said no one can be indifferent to the increasing number of deaths registered each year along roads particularly those in developing countries. Given that between 2006-2010 some 35,000 accidents occurred in various roads in Cameroon with some 6000 deaths recorded, it is time to adopt a global approach in intensifying road safety measures in Cameroon.

Through a strategic road safety plan, the Minister of Transport said Cameroon has embarked on a campaign to keep dilapidated vehicles off roads, improve road safety structures, ensure proper pre-and post medical care to road accident victims as well as increase repressive measures against those who do not respect road safety techniques. Besides increasing checks and controls along highways, Bello Bouba said road safety has been included in the school curriculum. All this, the minister said, is to make sure that by 2020, deaths along roads in Cameroon reduce by 50 percent.

The event was an occasion for a Petroleum Distribution Company and the World Bank to launch the initiative “Africa Road Safety Corridors” in which both organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote road safety measures along the Douala to Ndjamena and Douala to Bangui highways. The Representative of the World Bank, Mrs Cia Sjetnan said along these roads, they will join the various governments concerned to carryout road safety sensitisation campaigns as well as encourage road users to adopt safety actions. The Central African Republic minister and the Chadian Secretary of State lauded the “Africa Road Safety Corridors” initiative which will go a long way to improve safety along major roads which are economically important to them.

While reading an except from the speech of the United Nations Secretary General, Dr Charlotte Faty Ndiaye urged everybody to ensure that the decade gave rise to real improvement to end deaths along world’s roads. At the end of the launching ceremony, dignitaries took time to visit stands of various partners involved in making Cameroon roads safer for transportation.

AllAfrica – All the Time