Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean EMRO

EMRO Press Release No.1, 1 January 2000

Press Release No. 10
12 July 2005

Biography of Her Majesty Queen Rania

WHO launches the World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention under the Patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania

Queen Rania consented to become WHO Patron for Violence Prevention in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

11 JULY 2005 | AMMAN -- Road traffic accidents kill 1.2 million people every year and injure or disable as many as 50 million more. They are the second leading cause of death globally among young people aged 5 to 29 years and the third leading cause of death among people aged 30 to 44 years. They cost low-income and middle-income countries more than the total development aid they receive. Without immediate action to improve road safety, it is estimated that road traffic deaths will increase by 80% in low- income and middle-income countries by 2020.

The Arabic version of the World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention will be launched on July 12, 2005 in Amman, Jordan, at a regional event held under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, who recently consented to becoming WHO Patron for Violence Prevention in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Queen Rania has shown great interest in advocating the cause of violence prevention at a time when violence is a growing public health problem in the Region, and in working to free the world and the Eastern Mediterranean Region of all kinds of violence.

The World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention reflects the magnitude of this growing global public health crisis. The risk factors that lead to road traffic deaths and injuries and effective ways to prevent them are detailed in the report. Published by the World Health Organization and the World Bank, the report provides governments and other policy-makers, industry, nongovernmental organizations, international agencies and individuals with concrete recommendations to improve road safety.

“Much can be done to reduce the toll of deaths and injuries on the world's roads” said Dr. Hussein A. Gezairy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Dr. Gezairy added, “More than 3000 people die from road traffic accidents each day, but these are not random events or ‘accidents’. Rather they are incidents whose risks may be examined, understood and predicted. We have the knowledge to act now to prevent road traffic accidents. Road safety is no accident. It is a question of political will."

Demonstrating her commitment to the cause, Queen Rania launched Jordan's National Traffic Awareness Campaign in April 2005 and is now leading national efforts to develop a comprehensive strategy for the prevention of road traffic accidents in Jordan.

Her Majesty heads numerous national, regional, and international organizations that work to raise economic, social and cultural standards in communities in Jordan and around the globe. Since she assumed her public duties as Queen of Jordan, Queen Rania’s activities have reflected issues of national concern, such as the environment, health, youth, and human rights, among others. One of her main focus areas is the prevention of child abuse and violence against women, an issue of personal interest that she has taken to the forefront of the national agenda. On the international front, Queen Rania is a member of the Board of Directors of the Vaccine Fund, a non-profit organization that seeks to provide the children in the poorest countries of the world with access to life-saving vaccines. She joins world-famous personalities, including UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, among others, to call attention to the need to vaccinate every child, everywhere.

As WHO Patron for Violence Prevention, Queen Rania will play a leading role in drawing attention to the importance of the issues that need to be addressed and in promoting action in the areas of prevention of violence and improvement of services to victims of violence, especially in the Middle East. She will also play a role in encouraging political leaders in the region and globally to take action to prevent family and community violence.

Across the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, which includes most Arab countries, more than 130 000 people die on the roads every year, and road traffic injuries are the 8th leading cause of death for people of all ages. The vast majority of these deaths occur in the Region's low and middle-income countries. Unlike high-income countries, where those most at risk of injury or death are drivers and passengers in cars, equally at risk of being involved in a road traffic crash in low- income and middle-income countries are pedestrians, cyclists and users of informal modes of public transport.

Countries around the world have demonstrated that actions to improve road safety can protect their citizenries. In the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, major efforts are being under taken in nations such as Jordan, Morocco and Oman. In recent decades tens of thousands of lives have been saved in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States of America and countries in western Europe. This success is attributed to improving the design of vehicles and roads and focusing on legislation and enforcement, and sharing of information about the use of seat-belts, helmets and child restraints and about the dangers of speeding and drink-driving.

"Public health has a vital role to play in working with Member States to highlight the grave concern posed by road traffic injuries, by ensuring availability of reliable information on the magnitude, causes and consequences as well as assisting in the developing of effective strategies for prevention", said Dr Ala' Din Alwan, WHO Representative in Jordan. "We can also contribute by serving as a driving force behind collaboration with the many sectors and disciplines required to make road safety happen." The Jordanian initiative to develop a national strategy on road safety will serve as a model for other countries to follow.

Among the recommendations of the World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention are the appointment of a lead agency in every country to coordinate multisectoral efforts, the preparation of national road safety strategies and plans of action with clear roles and objectives for each sector, and the implementation of proven interventions to prevent crashes and minimize injuries and their consequences. The report notes that road safety is a shared responsibility, and calls on the expertise of people across many sectors and disciplines, including public health professionals, health care providers, road and motor vehicle engineers, law enforcement officials and educators.