World Health Day 2004 Campaign
Will Spotlight Road Safety
Costs of traffic injuries are highest—and fastest growing—in developing countries

Pedestrians cross a major thoroughfare at an unmarked crossing near the Panama Canal. © PAHO Panama

This year's World Health Day, April 7, will focus on the growing burden of road traffic deaths and injuries and the urgent need to adopt preventive measures to reduce their toll.

In its World Health Report 2003, released in December, the World Health Organization (WHO) termed traffic deaths and injuries a "hidden epidemic," calling it one of three "neglected" global epidemics, along with cardiovascular diseases and tobacco-related illnesses.

More than 20 million people are killed or severely injured in traffic incidents each year, according to the WHO report. The problem is worse in developing countries because of failures to implement safety standards and because of the rapid increase in the number of vehicles. Road deaths and injuries cost the developing world some $65 billion each year, according to the report.

"The problem is so severe that, by 2020, road crash injuries are likely to represent the third leading cause worldwide of disability-adjusted life years lost," says the WHO report. "By then, road traffic deaths are expected to increase by 92 percent in China and 147 percent in India, with an average increase of 80 percent in many other developing countries."

A quarter of all deaths due to injuries are the result of road traffic injuries, which are among the leading causes of death for people aged 15 to 44. Drunk driving, speeding, and failure to use seat belts and child restraints are the principal causes of traffic and traffic-related deaths.

In addition to these deaths, hundreds of thousands more are injured and in many cases permanently disabled. The highest number of injuries occur in developing countries among the most vulnerable road users: pedestrians, cyclists, children and passengers.

The 2004 World Health Day campaign is aimed at increasing awareness among the public and particularly political leaders of the burden of road traffic injuries. "Long-term awareness and advocacy campaigns are required to generate immediate and sustained action to promote global and national road safety," says the WHO report.

The campaign is also intended to rally cooperation across sectors, including public health, transportation, justice, law enforcement, and urban planning sectors. Among the proposed measures to reduce the toll of traffic incidents are:

• Strategies to address speeding and alcohol consumption.
• Promotion of helmets, seat belts, and other restraints.
• Measures aimed at increasing the visibility of both pedestrians and cyclists.

"A concerted effort on the part of governments and their partners to improve road safety can make a world of difference," says the WHO report.