DAR ES SALAAM, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Tanzanian government on Friday launched a project to provide capacity-building training for communities on how to deliver first-aid services to road accident victims.
The 485,350-U.S.-dollar three-year project, Strengthening Post-Crash Care in Tanzania, will implement and evaluate the impact of six components of the WHO emergency care toolkit in pre-hospital and hospital settings along Tanzania's busy highways, connecting the north and south of the country.
The project, funded by the United Nations Road Safety Fund, is a cooperation between the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), the National Road Safety Council of Tanzania, and the WHO.
Hendry Sawe, head of the Emergency Medicine Department at the MUHAS, said the project's goal is to improve post-crash care by building the capacity of ambulance services and training lay first responders.
Sawe said these trained responders will be equipped to provide immediate care at crash scenes, ensuring the safe transport of victims to health facilities with enhanced emergency care capabilities.
Galbert Fedjo, the WHO's health systems coordinator, described the initiative as critical, noting that road accidents in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Tanzania, were responsible for numerous fatalities and disabilities.
He said Tanzania's road traffic death rate remained alarmingly high at 16 deaths per 100,000 people.
"Many of these deaths and disabilities could be prevented with timely emergency care. However, Tanzania faces significant gaps in its emergency care system, including a lack of structured coordination, no formal emergency medical services, and no central dispatch system," said Fedjo. ■