The event presented an opportunity for WHO and its partners to present the activities and initiatives they carried out over the previous week. These activities included: distributing road safety materials to road users, particularly drivers and pedestrians; conducting awareness-raising lectures for young volunteers; and repainting pedestrian crossings at major interchanges in Amman, including outside schools and at major roundabouts.
During the event, WHO Representative for Jordan Dr Akram Eltom officially presented the WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety in front of dignitaries from United Nations agencies, Jordanian ministries, the police, and local nongovernmental organizations. He also discussed the importance of road safety in Jordan, highlighting the specific need for pedestrian protection and awareness. He said that, “Compared to the global figure of 22%, 33% of all road traffic deaths [in Jordan] are pedestrians, which worries me greatly. Especially as the report announces that less than half of seriously injured road traffic accident victims are transported by ambulances. These minutes could mean life or death for someone.”
Banan Kharabsheh, WHO focal person for the Global Road Safety Week, believes that these activities will continue into the future. “To me, what this week has really highlighted is the desire of Jordanians to have safer roads. Working closely with the police and local nongovernmental organizations focusing on road safety has also shown me the dedication and determination of the stakeholders in changing things for the better. WHO Jordan will continue to support the improvement of road safety in Jordan, and the organizations and institutions that strive to make this a reality.”
WHO Jordan would like to thank its partner organizations and volunteers for the hard work that they have put in to see this excellent campaign fulfil its true potential.
