WHO joined the non-profit group Sustainability (Al Mustadaama) llc to release a short film "Hazaamak Amaanak (Buckle Up for Life)" on 13 October 2012 to address a key preventive strategy for road traffic injuries – the seat-belt. The three-point seat-belts first left the factory floors of Sweden over 50 years ago. Since then, more than one million lives have been saved due to wearing seatbelts; it is considered one of the most cost-effective public health interventions. Key note speakers included Sheikh Khalfan Al Esry, Member of Parliament, Royal Oman Policy, the Ministry of Health and WHO. People from leading companies, universities, and representatives from ministries and the Research Council attended.
Road safety is a major public health concern. Every year more than 1.2 million lives are lost due to road crashes and up to 50 million people are injured. The Eastern Mediterranean Region is the only region in the world where fatality rates in high-income countries are higher than in low-income countries. The increasing trend of road traffic injuries in Oman is alarming. Published data in Oman indicate that for every 100 000 people, more than 21 people die. Road traffic injuries can be prevented. Proven solutions and interventions that need to be undertaken are known and have succeeded in developed countries such as Australia, Germany, Sweden and others. Wearing a seat-belt, for example, reduces the risk of serious or fatal injury by 40%–65%.
WHO is the United Nations coordinator on road safety issues, including the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety launched in May 2011. The Global Plan for the Decade outlines comprehensive steps for improving the safety on the roads. If all countries take up this plan, five million lives could be saved and 50 million injuries could be prevented across the world over the next ten years. Many countries are taking concrete action towards improving road safety like developing national plans, introducing new laws or increasing enforcement of existing legislations. Part of the efforts of WHO includes supporting nongovernmental organizations in their advocacy efforts through the recently established Global Alliance of NGOs of which Sustainability is a member.
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Sustainability (Al Mustadaama) llc