Africa leads in the number of fatalities arising from road traffic accidents despite having only three per cent of the total vehicles in the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
In their latest report, WHO noted that Kenya ranked fifth in the list of the countries with the highest number of traffic deaths in the continent, with Seychelles and Congo having the least traffic-related fatalities.
“Africa’s most vulnerable road users, such as motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians remain at high risk. The African region has the highest proportion of pedestrian deaths, accounting for one-third of global fatalities. This highlights the need for additional urgent action from all member states to address these challenges comprehensively and protect the most vulnerable,” WHO region director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said.
In the report that analysed incidents from around the continent between 2011 and 2021, an estimated 225,482 people died from road traffic accidents in 2021, accounting for 19 per cent of the world’s total fatalities despite having only 15 per cent of the world population and having just three per cent of the total vehicles globally.
Traffic accidents by region
“Relative to the size of its vehicle fleet, which is the lowest globally, accounting for only 3%, the African region bears a disproportionate burden of global road traffic deaths. In contrast, the European region, which has the lowest proportion of road traffic deaths (5%), accounts for 20% of the world’s vehicles,” the report notes.
While the total deaths from traffic-related accidents increased by 17 per cent, the report showed that some 17 countries managed to cut down their fatalities within the period under review from 2 per cent to 49 per cent.
Of all the deaths that arose from road accidents, half of them involved pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists.
“The most vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and users of two- and three-wheeled vehicles) bear the highest burden of road traffic fatalities (50 per cent). The African Region has the highest proportion of pedestrian road traffic fatalities (33 per cent). Four-wheeler fatalities remain higher than the global average,” the report states.
The report also notes that while 35 countries in Africa have a national strategy for road safety, only 21 countries have specific targets for reducing road traffic fatalities.
Similarly, only 10 countries in Africa have laws requiring all health facilities to provide care to anyone involved in a crash regardless of their ability to pay.
Also, in four African countries, some laws require health facilities to provide rehabilitation support to victims of an accident.
The report also notes that 70 per cent of all deaths occur to men between productive ages of 15-64 years.