Africa bears the highest burden of road fatalities globally and requires collective action to address the crisis, African Union (AU) Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy Amani Abou Zeid said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the opening of the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety held in Marrakech, Abou Zeid highlighted that Africa records more than 19 road deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, well above the global average of 15, warning that road insecurity is not only a humanitarian and social crisis but also an economic one, hampering growth across the continent.
“This event brings together decision-makers and experts to accelerate efforts to halve road deaths by 2030, a goal fully aligned with the AU’s strategies, including the African Charter on Road Safety and the AU Vision 2063,” she said.
The AU’s approach, she noted, focuses on several key areas: building roads that meet safety standards, enhancing social inclusivity by considering the needs of women and people with disabilities, improving urban mobility through safer and more sustainable transport, and reducing pollution.
While initiatives such as the African Road Safety Observatory (ARSO) have been launched to track progress and share data, Abou Zeid warned that “the gap continues to widen, which is particularly concerning.”
The Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, organized by Morocco’s Ministry of Transport in partnership with the World Health Organization, was marked by the awarding of the the first Mohammed VI International Road Safety Prize, a distinction aimed at rewarding innovative initiatives in the fight against road insecurity.
The award was granted this year to WHO and to the UN Fund for Road Safety in recognition for their efforts to curb road accidents.
This award will be given every four years at the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety.
Speaking to participants, WHO director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended the Royal initiative to set up the Mohammed VI International Prize for Road Safety, dedicated to promoting efforts for safer roads and welcomed the prize as an “honor” for WHO.
He urged more action to improve road safety, while deploring that 1 million people lose their lives annually in “preventable” road accidents.
“Change is possible,” he underscored, particularly through the implementation of policies to prevent traffic collisions and save lives.
For his part, the UN Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, welcomed the fact that this major event was being held in Africa for the first time, to discuss such a crucial issue for all countries.
He emphasized that despite efforts, road accidents remain a major challenge that requires urgent action, pointing out the vast gap between promises and reality.
He argued that this situation is likely to worsen with the continuous increase in the number of vehicles and urban development.
The Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, held under the theme “Commit to Life,” drew official delegations from more than 100 countries, including ministers responsible for transport, interior affairs, infrastructure, and health.