Ethiopia | Road Safety | Public Health

Key Achievements

• Radio programmes: Developed and aired two radio programmes on the impact of speeding and road traffic accidents on the health system. Listen to “Speed ​​is deadly. Let’s save lives by respecting the speed limit!” and “Ethiopia in the grip of a severe traffic accident crisis—main causes and solutions”
  
• Op-ed: Submitted an op-ed titled, “Road Accidents: Ethiopia’s Silent Public Health Crisis” for publication.
  
• Integration: Successfully combined technical evidence with personal narratives to engage both public and professional audiences.
  
• Community engagement: Reached thousands of listeners and stimulated community discussion on road safety measures.
  
• Awareness: Increased understanding among audiences of the connection between speeding, accidents, and healthcare system pressures.

Road traffic accidents remain a major but under-recognised public health challenge in Ethiopia, with speeding playing a critical role in preventable injury and death. The team of Tesfaye Dagne and freelancer Solomon Yimer examined how speeding contributes to road traffic injuries and deaths in Ethiopia.

The project examined accident patterns, public awareness, and health system burden using official statistics alongside interviews with health professionals, experts, and survivors to reframe road crashes as a public health issue.

Interactive radio programmes and opinion pieces engaged drivers, commuters, and policymakers, increasing awareness of prevention-focused road safety measures and understanding of road safety as a public health priority.

“As a health professional, I did not know how difficult the production of a radio program is; I also noticed how the radio program needs to be planned and requires a back-and-forth data collection.”