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| Wednesday, 7 April 2004 |
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Today is World Health Day. This date signifies the birth of the World Health Organization (WHO) on 7 April 1948 when 26 United Nations member States ratified its Constitution. World Health Day has now become an annual advocacy event reaching out and engaging the general public in discussion and debate on important health issues, a press release from the United Nations Information Centre states. This year World Health Day theme is Road Safety Is No Accident. This is the first time in the history of the World Health Organisation that the Day has been devoted to Road Safety. In recent times some countries have seen vast improvements in road safety. In spite of that nearly 1.2 million people are killed every year in road traffic collisions around the world. Between 20 to 50 million more people are seriously injured in such accidents every year, often resulting in disability. However, these deaths and injuries are largely neglected as a health issue, perhaps because they are still viewed by many as incidents beyond our control. Yet, WHO says the risks are known - They include speeding, alcohol, non-use of belts and other restraints; poor road design, poor enforcement of road safety regulations and poor emergency health services. While some interventions to address individual risks have been proven to be effective, WHO's mission on World Health Day 2004 is to advocate a "systems approach" to road safety which takes into consideration the key aspects of the system, the road user, the vehicle and the infrastructure. Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, in his message of World Health Day,says that "Road Safety Is No Accident". This year's theme of the Day reminds us that road safety does not happen by chance. achieving and sustaining safety on the roads requires deliberate action from many sectors of society, he observes. |
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