Your majesty, excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
I regret that I am not able to be with you today, given WHO’s preoccupations with the global response to the coronavirus disease.
It would have been an honour to be with you there in person for this exciting event, but I am pleased to join you by video.
Let me begin by thanking the Government of Sweden for bringing us together.
It is a pleasure to be hosted and guided by one of the best in the class.
The fact that I stand before you today as the head of the UN’s health agency illustrates not only the huge health impact of road traffic crashes, but also that cooperation that is required across many sectors – transport, infrastructure, interior, AND health – to address this crucial development concern.
We are convening at a critical time, at the end point of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 and Sustainable Development Goal target 3.6.
During that period, countries and cities have achieved some significant results.
For example, from 2010 – 2018, road traffic deaths declined by one fifth in the European Union and by one third in the Russian Federation.
Cities, too, are making progress, with many cities across Brazil, for example, reporting declines in road traffic fatalities of more than 40% since 2010.
Since the launch of the latest WHO global status report on road safety, similar results are being reported in countries such as Saudi Arabia and cities like Bogotá, Colombia.
And in 2019, in pursuit of Vision Zero, the city of Oslo, Norway had just one road traffic death, and zero deaths among pedestrians and cyclists.
These are clear examples of what can be achieved when countries and cities commit to action.
Other efforts – such as the upgrading of 100,000 km of high-risk roads in China, production of India’s first 5-star car, adoption of laws on speeding in Thailand and child restraints in the Philippines, and the strengthening of Uganda’s emergency trauma care system – will hopefully lead to similar results in the years ahead.
Despite progress, we need to do much more.
In the two days we will spend together, 7,400 people will die on the roads and tens of thousands more will suffer life-altering injuries with long-lasting effects.
These losses take a huge toll on families and communities, and place a large burden on health systems.
We must turn the global movement and strong foundation established by the Decade of Action into lives saved.
Political will is needed at the highest level of government to achieve this, both by investing in evidence-based interventions to make roads safe and considering ways to shift to modes of transport that are better for health and the environment and the overall livability of cities.
Regarding the latter, we are presented with a unique opportunity today.
As low- and middle-income countries develop, they are in a position to avoid the costly mistakes made in the past by high-income countries.
With the right leadership, transport systems can be configured or reconfigured in such a way as to reduce reliance on cars.
However, it is only when countries build in the safeguards and implement the best practices to enhance road safety, that we can offer walking, cycling and using public transport as viable options for most trips.
When we are able to ensure this, we help our societies move towards a vision of not only safe, but also accessible, affordable and sustainable mobility.
To help achieve this vision, WHO is committed to continuing to work with countries to provide global coordination on road safety, improve laws, strengthen data collection, monitor global progress and enhance the post-crash response.
WHO’s General Programme of Work – our five-year strategic plan – includes road safety goals that are underpinned by 12 voluntary road safety targets that were agreed upon by Member States in 2017.
They include creating national action plans, improving road and vehicle standards and reducing risks like speeding and failing to use seat-belts.
These targets are designed to provide guidance to countries on key road safety interventions that save lives.
It’s one thing, of course, to set goals and targets. It’s another to achieve them.
Ladies and gentlemen,
There is no excuse for inaction. I want to leave you with three requests.
First, every country must rapidly accelerate action on proven road safety measures to save lives.
Second, while safety is being ensured, countries must plan for sustainable mobility. This means putting in place the measures that are needed to shift towards forms of transport that benefit people and the climate, with an increased focus on walking, cycling and public transport.
And third, we must work together across many sectors as governments, international agencies, civil society organizations, donors and the private sector to achieve the above.
Thank you once again for the opportunity to speak to you today, and for your commitment to a healthier, safer and fairer world.
Thank you so much.