Frequently Asked Questions About Asia Injury Prevention Foundation

► What are the goals of Asia Injury Prevention Foundation?

► Why focus on road accidents?

► Why Asia?

► Why not focus on HIV or other major killers?

► Will it work?

What are the goals of Asia Injury Prevention Foundation?

Our goal is to stop the escalating number of people dying or being injured in road accidents in Southeast Asia through direct intervention in three areas:

• Providing access to high quality affordable motorbike helmets

• Creating public awareness and education programs

• Providing advocacy and information to governments considering changes to existing helmet and road safety laws

Why focus on road accidents?

Road accidents are one of the fastest growing causes of sudden death and disability in the developing world. The World Health Organization estimates that by 2020, road accidents will be the world’s third leading cause of premature death for all ages. This not only leads to thousands of preventable deaths and injuries each year, but it jeopardizes the public health systems of the world’s poorest nations, contributing to poverty rates and limiting the ability of healthcare systems to focus on other crises. Among children, road accidents is one of the leading causes of death overall. As incomes rise and more and more families can afford to trade in bicycles for motorbikes, the number of accidents is soaring. Children are the most vulnerable passengers and most at risk of death or injury.

Why Asia?

Asia is where the problem is the worst – on the verge of becoming an “epidemic.” Already, 44 percent of the world’s road deaths occur in Asia. As globalization in poor economies occurs, motorbike usage increases due to increased affluence. Greater usage means more crashes that strain already overburdened health systems and add to poverty rates. We are targeting the countries that have the most road accidents: Vietnam, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.

Why not focus on HIV or other major killers?

World attention is already focused on many of the world’s greatest killers. But comparatively little is focused on road accidents, where the ability to save lives is immediate and dramatic. Through low-tech efforts such as education programs and helmet donations, we can have a powerful impact. Thus far, AIDS impacts a certain sector of Asian societies; road death is indiscriminate and universal, as well as easily preventable.

Will it work?

In the targeted countries, rapid economic development is just beginning. We have a real chance to lay the groundwork to save thousands of lives in a short span of time. Over the past six years Asia Injury has made great strides in improving traffic safety in Vietnam. These improvements can be seen on many levels. The Vietnamese government, because of increased international awareness of road safety is now actively addressing the issue of traffic safety as evidenced by the revision of helmet standards, adopting much of Asia Injury’s Traffic Safety Education curriculum, and participating in the 2004 traffic safety themed World Heath Day. The expansion of Helmets for Kids has not only helped to protect over 150,000 children, but it has also spread the message of road safety to tens of thousands of families. Children are now being taught an effective traffic safety curriculum and hopefully this will spread to secondary school students. Perhaps the most encouraging sign that all these programs have the potential to succeed is hard statistical data. 2003 was the first year that traffic related deaths and injuries both declined in Vietnam. Although this is encouraging, there is still a long way to go. With the help of government bodies, nonprofit organizations, and corporate sponsors, these gains can be built on providing a safer environment for all to live.