Tehran – The Iranian World Health Organization (WHO) office is committed to strengthening its national campaign titled “Say No To Accident” by providing strategic support, raising public awareness and working with responsible organisations to work with representatives of Iranian Jaffar Hussain.
The campaign, developed by the Ministry of Health website, aims primarily to manage road traffic, reduce accidents and save thousands of lives.
Road accidents are one of the main challenges of the domestic healthcare system. The Ministry of Health website quotes Hussein saying that thousands of individuals are killed in road crashes each year.
Such accidents are preventable, but in 2023, approximately 20,000 people lost their lives in Iran.
“We will actively spread important campaign messages across the World Health Organization’s digital platform, providing attractive, informative and accessible texts to our audiences. We will also promote high levels of advocacy and approval of evidence-based interventions, as well as the use of global models and expertise, further enhancing road safety,” emphasized Hussein.
Officials further said the WHO would also actively promote partnerships between policymakers, law enforcement agencies and various communities, encouraging observations of road safety regulations and promoting safer driving behavior.
“Together, we will raise public awareness and develop a traffic safety culture, particularly during Nowruz holidays, to significantly minimize road accidents and their catastrophic consequences.
All life matters, so let’s say overwhelming no to accidents and unite in making the road safer for everyone,” Hussein emphasized.
Safe driving, social responsibility
Memory World Day for Road Traffic Victims is held every year on the third Sunday of November.
Millions of people have lost their lives in road accidents, and the number of deaths is increasing year by year.
In Iran, the day was observed with various programs, training, two cultural and educational workshops, as well as conferences and technical roundtables.
According to the IRNA, traffic-related accidents claim 10,097 Iranian lives in the first six months of the current calendar year (March 20 to September 21) (March 20 to September 21), indicating a decline in 618 deaths.
Approximately 62% of accidents are caused by civilian vehicles. Autos and motorcycles accounted for public transport in 25%, 6% vans, 5% trucks and 1% of accidents, respectively.
In the country, pedestrians make up 16% of all accident victims. Their share reaches 24% in urban districts and 8% on roads.
25% of accidents occur between 4pm and 8pm, with 22% occurring between 8pm and midnight, making it more likely to occur in the evening and night.
The Global Status Report on Road Safety, launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in December 2018, highlights the annual number of road traffic deaths reached 1.35 million.
More than half of all road traffic deaths are one of the vulnerable road users, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Pedestrians, cyclists, and electric two- and three-wheeled passengers and their riders are collectively known as “vulnerable road users” and account for half of all road traffic deaths around the world.
The proportion of vulnerable road users die in lower-income countries than in higher-income countries.
Currently, road traffic injuries are the leading murderers of people aged 5-29. This burden is disproportionately borne by pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, especially those living in developing countries.
The report also shows that progress to realizing Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Goal 3.6 is not sufficient to call for a 50% reduction in road traffic deaths by 2020.
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