Mortality, morbidity and disability caused by injuries are an emerging health problem in Egypt. In 1991, the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) conducted an analysis of the impact of injuries on the Egyptian population and in response developed the National Multi-stakeholders High Committee for injury control and prevention. WHO continues to support the Committee and assisted Egypt to develop a national plan for safety promotion and a National Injury Surveillance System.
An important component of violence, injury and disability prevention in Egypt is road safety. Road traffic incidents are a leading cause of death and hospitalization in the country, representing 63% of injury-related deaths and 34% of non-fatal injuries, and particularly affect young people and the economically productive. The high prevalence of road accidents in Egypt and the consequent human tragedy is a great socioeconomic and psychological burden on all Egyptian citizens and presents significant challenges for development.
The period of political upheaval following the 2011 revolution saw a pause in action towards preventing road traffic incidents. However the National Council for Road Safety has since been revived and met in November 2014 to resume efforts.
Following the March 2010 UN General Assembly resolution calling for a decade of action for road safety, the Council, in collaboration with WHO and other partners, is now developing a plan to address road traffic injuries, “Egypt: a national decade of action for road safety 2011–2020”. The plan will work towards the improvement of road safety management, road infrastructure, vehicle safety, road user behaviour, road safety education and post-crash response.
WHO supports the Government in the reduction of key risks including speeding, drinking and driving, increasing seat-belt use and increasing child restraints. Technical support is also provided in the development of appropriate policies and legislation and also plays a key role in supporting the role of NGOs.
In addition to injury control efforts, WHO is working with Egypt to initiate a disability surveillance system using the International Classification for Functional Disabilities (ICF) the internationally agreed, WHA endorsed standard language that describes human functioning and is the best tool to classify disabilities, leading to better planning for services and needs. Use of ICF in national and international documents and data sets describing disability is a pre-requisite to fulfill the commitments mandated by the UN convention.
WHO is responsible for overall coordination of the consortium partners; providing technical and partial financial support to elements relating to capacity building for disability surveillance, classification and data system setup, management and recommendations for securing the rights of people with disabilities.
Related links
Injuries, Traffic health topic
Regional violence, injuries and disability programme
Egypt: a national decade of action for road safety 2011–2020 [pdf 3.12Mb]
