THE World Health Organization (WHO) country office along with the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), has launched the road accident services strengthening post-crash care in Tanzania (SPRINT) to reduce the impact of crashes on casualties.

This three-year project running until 2027 focuses on education for healthcare teams, drivers and the community, along with ensuring availability of emergency vehicles or ambulances, all projected to cost $485,350 upon completion.

Prof Hendry Sawe, the MUHAS head of emergency medicine, said the project cuts across sectors, reaching upwards of 400 individuals, including drivers along major roads.

The traffic unit of the police force, first aid and emergency service providers, as well as practical trial areas such as district hospitals, regional hospitals, referral hospitals and health centers would be involved, he said.

“In the country, there are 16 deaths for every 100,000 people due to accidents. We have the equipment and cooperation from various sectors and stakeholders. Now, this project is coming with steps on how we can unite our efforts.

"We will have tool kits that have been tested in 40 countries by WHO, available online. The goal is to see how communication will be easier in the event of a crash, so lives are saved immediately before the casualties can receive full treatment," he said.

The project will be implemented on the Tanzania-Zambia highway which has a high transportation activity, as well as the southern road and northern highway, whose results would facilitate revising policies, laws and regulations when policy-makers grasp the issues involved, he stated.

Dr Galbert Fedjo, the WHO health system coordinator, had earlier said that the project is meant to reduce the impact of crashes, especially in strengthening emergency services education.

"SPRINT aims to strengthen post-crash services and improve emergency care for road traffic injury victims,’ he said, noting that the effort brings together key stakeholders to ensure better implementation strategies.

Under the project, experts will assess its impact on lower-level hospitals to higher-level hospitals along seven major roads connecting the north and south of Tanzania, he stated, noting that the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) was financing this initiative.

"Every year, over 330,000 people die from accidents globally, which is equivalent to 31 deaths for every 100,000 people. In Tanzania, the rate is 16 deaths for every 100,000 people," he stated

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Deus Sokoni, a veteran road safety educator, said that the community still has limited knowledge on how to save victims at crash scenes, and that some people fail to have the techniques to rescue those severely injured.

Implementing the project will help the grassroots community understand how to save crash victims, he stated. Tanzania has made efforts to reduce crashes, in 2016 there were more than 20,000 crashes which decreased to nearly 1,000 and fatalities diminished, he added.