The Kenyan Ministry of Health, the National Transport and Safety Authority, the World Health Organization (WHO), and Bloomberg Philanthropies have announced the launch of an initiative to reduce deaths and serious injuries from road traffic crashes by strengthening laws, policies, and actions proven to save lives.

The Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety in Kenya was launched to coincide with the Kenyan government’s efforts to finalize its National Road Safety Action Plan, which aims to halve the number of deaths from crashes by 2030. The government, WHO, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and other partners are meeting to define how the initiative can best support the New Road Safety Plan.

According to Kenya's National Transport and Safety Authority, in 2021 there were 4,579 fatalities as a result of road traffic crashes recorded, with tens of thousands more people seriously injured. As of last week, 1,816 more fatalities were recorded, showing an increase of more than 9 percent compared with a similar period in 2021. According to WHO, road traffic crashes kill approximately 1.3 million people around the world every year—more than two every minute—with more than 90 percent of all deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.

“Road crash deaths are a crisis that hides in plain sight. Stepping up action on road safety is vital, as on top of the tragic human toll, road safety touches on all our lives each day, including getting to work and to school,” said Abdourahmane Diallo, WHO representative in Kenya. “By strengthening laws, practices, and bringing partners together, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative is key to saving lives.

“Bloomberg Philanthropies is proud to partner with the Government of Kenya to strengthen road safety efforts that will save lives,” said Kelly Larson, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Initiative for Global Road Safety. “We are committed to supporting proven road safety interventions that save lives.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/ProStock Studio)