UNECA Chief Raises Concern Over Alarming Road Accidents in Africa

ADDIS ABABA: Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Claver Gatete has raised concern over alarming road accidents in Africa.

Speaking at the United Nations Partnership Meeting for Road Safety, Gatete said that the disproportionately high rate of road traffic deaths in Africa is alarming, especially as the continent has barely 3 percent of the world’s vehicle fleet, UNECA’s statement quoted Gatete as saying on Thursday.

Gatete said Africa needs support in developing its road safety management to curb the high rate of road crashes which are blight on the continent’s development.

“Equally alarming, road traffic fatalities in Africa increased by 15 percent between 2019 and 2020,” Gatete said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the road traffic fatality rate on the continent to be 26.6 deaths per 100,000 people compared to 17 in Southeast Asia, 9.3 in Europe and the world’s average of 17.5, the statement said.

The 2023 WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety, launched this week, indicates that approximately 1.19 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes, with road traffic injuries being the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years.

“Road safety management is foundational to curbing road deaths, yet it remains a major challenge in Africa,” he said.

Gatete urged the UN Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) to consider allocating more resources to projects in Africa due to the magnitude of the road safety problems on the continent.

He also called on UN organizations to assist in improving the reliability of road safety data in Africa by supporting the Africa Road Safety Observatory (ARSO).

“Lack of reliable data on road safety is another challenge that Africa grapples with,” Gatete said, calling for the speedy implementation of the African Road Safety Observatory which will help address this issue through evidence-based decision-making on the continent.

Calling on UN organizations to support the digitalization of road safety in Africa, Gatete said the continent needs capacity building, technical assistance, research, and financial support to deal with the problem.

According to the 2023 WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety, 92 percent of the world’s fatalities on the roads occur in low- and middle-income countries and road traffic crashes cost most countries 3 percent of their gross domestic product. 

Source – Xinhua