Between Ebola, HIV/AIDS and road crashes

Before I reel out the factsheet from WHO on these three killers, let me first remind you that the three epidemic killers remains a black man’s burden as they are more pronounced in Africa or better still in low and middle income countries. As I commence this series, which hopefully would run for about two […]

Before I reel out the factsheet from WHO on these three killers, let me first remind you that the three epidemic killers remains a black man’s burden as they are more pronounced in Africa or better still in low and middle income countries. As I commence this series, which hopefully would run for about two or three weeks, let me commend us all for the WHO clean bill for kicking Ebola out of our shores. But while we celebrate this feat, let me express myself centred worry since the outbreak of the Ebola. This worry was first borne by the damage caused by the virus disease.
Secondly, rather than being excited over the immediate change in our health habits, which was no doubt commendable, I was worried at the extent at which hand sanitizers had become a vogue at a time when our appeal to motorist to stay off their phones while driving and drive by the approved speed limits among other traffic infractions, were falling on deaf ears. I was ironically worried also at the extent of mobilisation, including financial mobilization, by corporate organisations over the new killer which according to a serious joke by a close friend, had only killed less than 10 people compared to road traffic crashes which kill more daily. Now that we have collectively sent Ebola packing, I believe this is the right time to write this piece which has been in the cooler since the outbreak of Ebola for the fear of being misrepresented.
 According to The Global status report on road safety 2013 from 182 countries, accounting for almost 99 percent of the world’s population, including Nigeria, road traffic deaths remain 1.24 million per year. As at 2014, the figure stands at 1.3 million. Only 28 countries, covering 7 percent of the world’s population, have comprehensive road safety laws on five key risk factors: drinking and driving, speeding, and failing to use motorcycle helmets, seat-belts, and child restraints. Nigeria through the activities of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) is among these countries.
 The report further states that another 20 to 50 million sustain non-fatal injuries. These injuries and deaths have an immeasurable impact on the families affected and their communities. Road traffic injuries are estimated to be the eighth leading cause of death globally, with an impact similar to that caused by diseases, such as malaria, and remain the leading cause of death for young people aged 15–29 years, and as a result take a heavy toll on those entering their most productive years. Yearly, 400,000 people under the age of 25 years die at an average of more than 1,000 a day. These deaths are more in low and middle income countries among vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and those using public transport. Speeding remains the single most common traffic violation and explains why the FRSC has fixed mid-2015 as deadline for enforcement of speed limiters in vehicles, beginning with commercial vehicles. The use of phone while driving, dangerous driving, unlicensed and under-aged driving are also prevalent violations, in addition to lane indiscipline among others.
Economically, the report notes that disadvantaged families are hardest hit by both direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost wages that result from these injuries. At the national level, road traffic injuries weans the national purse particularly in  developing economies, and are estimated to cost low and middle income countries between 1–2 percent of their gross national product, estimated at over US$100 billion a year. Despite these facts, road safety has  been neglected not just in terms of policy formulation but also in terms of resource allocation and individual responsibility despite the fact that road traffic injuries are largely preventable. Although road traffic injuries are projected to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030, if nothing concrete is done, corporate and individual engagement is still not in the magnitude with which we all became sanitizer distributors in the fight against Ebola.
Africa has the highest road fatality rate, with 37 of the 44 countries surveyed having death rates well above the global average of 18.0 deaths per 100,000 population. While the region accounts for 2 percent of the world’s vehicles, it contributes 16 percent to the global deaths with young men as the most vulnerable. In Nigeria, deaths through road traffic crashes before the establishment of the FRSC in 1988 stood at 25,792 crashes and 9,077 deaths. The figure for 2012 stood at 6,269 crashes with 4,260 deaths, with an average of 12 deaths daily. Road crashes figure for countries within the West Africa sub-region just like other countries in Africa, are equally worrisome despite the regional strategy through the West African Road Safety Organisation. As at April 2014 when the WARSO executive/technical session held in Freetown, Sierra Leone,  worries were expressed over the slow pace of effective strategies in the sub-region with the  exception of Nigeria’s giant strides through the FRSC and select number of countries within the sub-region.