Claver Gatete, executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, says Africa needs support in developing its road safety management to curb the high rate of road crashes.

Mr Gatete, who made the call in a statement on Thursday by the communications section of ECA, said the rate of road crashes in Africa was a blight on the continent’s development.

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

Speaking at the United Nations Partnership Meeting for Road Safety, Gatete said that the disproportionately high rate of road traffic deaths in Africa was alarming.

He noted this was especially so as the continent had barely three per cent of the world’s vehicle fleet.

“Equally alarming, road traffic fatalities in Africa increased by 15 per cent between 2019 and 2020,” he added.

The United Nations Partnership Meeting for Road Safety is a platform for UN organisations to share experiences in efforts to reduce road injuries and fatalities across the world.

The 2023 WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 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 five to 29 years.

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

Research by ECA and the African Union Commission shows that only 22 per cent of measures related to road safety management in the African Road Safety Action Plan (2011-2020) were implemented.

According to Mr Gatete, ECA has since focused its technical assistance and advisory services on road safety management to African countries and organisations.

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

The ECA boss also called on UN organisations to assist in improving the reliability of road safety data in Africa by supporting the Africa Road Safety Observatory.

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

Also calling on UN organisations to support the digitalisation of road safety in Africa, Mr Gatete said the continent needed capacity building, technical assistance, research, and financial support.

According to the 2023 WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety, 92 per cent of the world’s fatalities on the roads occur in low- and middle-income countries. Road traffic crashes also cost most countries three per cent of their GDP.

(NAN)