Helmet Vaccine Newsletter- Feb/March 2011

Greetings road safety stakeholders,

We’ve had a busy couple of months at AIP Foundation, increasing our presence in Cambodia and Thailand and continuing to implement programs throughout Vietnam. We’re now looking forward to an exciting time in road safety, as we prepare for the launch of the UN’s Decade of Action for Road Safety on May 11th. We hope you will join us in celebrating this day around the world and take advantage of this unique opportunity to shed public attention on the critical issue of road safety.

Sincerely,

Greig Craft
President/CEO
AIP Foundation/Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative

1. Global

• UN Secretary General Leads Decade of Action for Road Safety
• FIM Joins the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative
• Uganda Helmet Vaccine Initiative Hires Country Director
• Greig Craft Attends the Global Meeting of NGOs Advocating for Road Safety

2. Vietnam

• News update
• AIP Foundation and Vietnamese Government Partner to Promote Child Helmet Use in Vietnam
• Total Vietnam Improves Traffic Safety Awareness for Students
• British International School Students Bring Road Safety Awareness to Vietnamese Students

3. Cambodia

• News update
• Michelle Yeoh Films Road Safety Documentary in Cambodia
• AIP Foundation Hires Country Director in Cambodia

4. Thailand

• News update
• Police Seize Substandard Crash Helmets for Children from Factory in Outskirts of Bangkok
• AIP Foundation Thailand Builds Partnerships with Key Road Safety Stakeholders

UN Secretary General Leads Decade of Action for Road Safety

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with actress and Global Road Safety Ambassador Michelle Yeoh at UN headquarters in New York to discuss plans for the UN's Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020). Michelle Yeoh presented the Secretary General with a Protec tropical helmet- designed by AIP Foundation's non-profit helmet manufacturer Protec Helmets as well as a road safety tag - the symbol of the Decade of Action for Road Safety. Protec Helmets is an integral part of the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative, an initiative with the goal of achieving universal helmet use in developing countries that will be one of the leading initiatives of the Decade of Action for Road Safety.

Photo: Michelle Yeoh presented the UN Secretary General with a helmet

"Through the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety, I sincerely hope that we can save human lives. It is totally unacceptable more than one million people die on the roads and more than fifty million are injured. The human costs are profound and even the economic cost is staggering, more than $100 billion in developing countries.

The United Nations will lead by example, we need the support from member states and community leaders and most importantly this Decade, the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, is for everybody, every expressway, every road and every vehicle, therefore we need to have a concerted effort. If we lead by example we can save millions of lives. This is what the United Nations is working very hard for - a safer world for all," said Ban Ki-moon.

The Decade of Action for Road Safety will launch worldwide on May 11, with events held every hour in participating countries to promote road safety.

FIM Joins the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative

The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) is the most recent organization to join the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative. The Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative is led by a coalition of international road safety stakeholders, comprised of the AIP Foundation, FIA Foundation, the World Bank, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and FIM. Wearing a helmet is an affordable and effective measure against the hidden epidemic of road traffic crashes, as helmets are proven to reduce the likelihood of death by 42 percent and serious injury by 69 percent. In each country of operation, the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative supports the establishment of country-level Helmet Vaccine Initiatives, led by a local nonprofit organization and comprised of nonprofit, government, and corporate partners.

Photo: Greig Craft accepts the FIM’s Road Safety Award on behalf of the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative

Uganda Helmet Vaccine Initiative Hires Country Director

The Uganda Helmet Vaccine Initiative, a branch of the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative, hired Barbara Mwanje as country director to provide critical leadership to the organization. The Uganda Helmet Vaccine Initiative is planning to launch on May 11, 2011 in conjunction with the launch of the UN’s Decade of Action for Road Safety. Barbara joins the Uganda Helmet Vaccine Initiative with extensive experience in road safety, after managing the road safety non-profit Arrive Alive in Uganda.

Photo: Barbara Mwanje, Uganda Helmet Vaccine Initiative Country Director

Greig Craft Attends the Global Meeting of NGOs Advocating for Road Safety

Greig Craft attended the second annual Global Meeting of NGOs Advocating for Road Safety in Washington DC on March 14-15. The meeting, hosted by the World Health Organization, served as a forum to encourage collaboration between key stakeholders in the road safety community and to plan for the upcoming launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety. Greig moderated a discussion session on road safety trends for NGOs working in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.

News Update

Deaths from Accidents in Vietnam Rise over Lunar New Year Holiday

The National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) estimates that 47 people were killed per day in road traffic crashes during the Tet holiday, a significant increase to the average of 32 people per day. Tet is the most important holiday in Vietnam, and typically takes place during the first week of February. Holidays are particularly high-risk times for road traffic crashes and AIP Foundation urges all global stakeholders to be mindful of promoting road safety during holiday seasons.

For more information, please see the full article here.

AIP Foundation and Vietnamese Government Partner to Promote Child Helmet Use in Vietnam

Hanoi, 24 March 2011 The Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation and National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) co-hosted a stakeholder workshop to create an action plan for a program promoting child helmet use in Vietnam. A 2011 study by Vietnam National University (Hanoi) shows that child helmet use is as low as 16 percent in Hanoi. The program’s objective is to raise child helmet use to 80 percent nationally over the next three years.

Photo: Road safety expert Robert Klein facilitates the stakeholder meeting

“Our goal is to introduce a new era, where child helmet use is seen as a social norm in Vietnam,” said Mirjam Sidik, Executive Director of AIP Foundation. “We would like to invite all stakeholders in child helmet use to participate in this program, to ensure that our efforts are effective and sustainable.”

Multi-sector partners attended the meeting, ranging from government representatives to the World Health Organization (WHO) and international road safety experts to government representatives as well as teachers, parents, and community leaders who have a strong investment in child helmet use. The program, sponsored by Atlantic Philanthropies, will address social behavior norms to make non-helmet use among children unacceptable in society.

Total Vietnam Improves Traffic Safety Awareness for Students

Dong Nai, 2 March 2011

Total Vietnam in partnership with Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation launched its Safe Routes to School program at An Loi Primary School, Long Thanh district, Dong Nai province. The program will provide road safety education to more than 900 students in addition to engineering improvements to the school’s surrounding traffic environment.

"Corporate responsibility is a priority for Total Vietnam," said Mr. Jean Nehlil, Country Manager of Total Refining and Marketing Vietnam. "Where ever Total operates, efforts are put into building a sustainable environment for the local community. Being faithful to our cause, in Vietnam, we hope that our project with An Loi Primary School will have a positive impact on the whole community of students, teachers, and parents." "In 2010, 1,284 road traffic crashes led to 332 deaths and 284 injuries in Dong Nai," said Mr. Duong Duy Quy, Chief of Secretariat of Dong Nai Traffic Safety Committee. "Children under sixteen are among the most vulnerable road users and comprise of 3.2 percent of traffic fatalities and 5 percent of traffic injuries."

Photo: AIP Foundation and Total Vietnam celebrate Safe Routes to School launch

British International School Students Bring Road Safety Awareness to Vietnamese Students

Ho Chi Minh City, 29 March 2011 The British International School donated 758 helmets and road safety education to students at the Tran Khanh Du school through the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation’s Helmets for Kids program. Students from the two schools are collaborating to improve road safety awareness while building relationships between the schools. British International School students led the launch ceremony, participating in the helmet fitting and training in helmet use.

Photo: Students enjoy modeling their new helmets

News Update

At least 19 people were killed and 8 were injured in a road traffic crash on March 3 in Preah Sihanouk province. A truck loaded with metals hit a van driving a group to a nearby wedding; the truck was speeding.

"Such loss of many lives in a single accident is a tragedy and causes overwhelming pain, not just for families and friends of the victims, but also for the entire community, especially amongst those of us who are working to make Cambodia's roads safer", said Mr. Kim Pagna, Cambodia Country Director of the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation. "Concerted actions must be taken to prevent and reduce similar fatalities and tragedy on Cambodia's roads. It is our desire to see road accidents significantly reduced."

Road traffic crashes are the greatest source of fatalities in Cambodia, second only to HIV/AIDS, with 1,709 people killed on Cambodia's roads in 2010. The AIP Foundation together with other road safety stakeholders is combating this public health crisis through advocacy, mass media campaigns and grassroots school-based educational programs.

For more information, please see the full article here.

Michelle Yeoh Films Road Safety Documentary in Cambodia

Phnom Penh, 22 February 2011

To promote traffic safety awareness, the FIA Foundation in coordination with the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation recently filmed a documentary featuring actress and Global Road Safety Ambassador Michelle Yeoh. In Cambodia, road traffic crashes were the largest non-communicable disease burden in 2010. The documentary demonstrates the burden of traffic fatalities in Cambodia and examines the many interventions being implemented to combat this public health crisis.

“My visit to Cambodia aims to show that these deaths and injuries can be prevented,” said Michelle Yeoh. “They can be prevented by simple acts like always wearing a motorcycle helmet. This year, as we launch the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, we should be more determined than ever to keep everyone, and especially our children, safe from harm.”

In filming the documentary, Yeoh interviewed high-ranking government officials, visited road traffic crash victims in hospitals, and participated in school-based road safety education programs. Yeoh met with H.E. Tram Iv Tek, Minister of Public Works and Transport, to advocate for quick passage of a law mandating helmets for motorcycle passengers. Currently, the law only requires motorcycle drivers to wear helmets; however, helmets have been proven to reduce the likelihood of death from a road traffic crash by 42 percent and the likelihood of injury by 69 percent.

Photo: Cambodian students learn about traffic signs

AIP Foundation Hires Country Director in Cambodia

Phnom Penh, 1 March 2011

The Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation is scaling up operations in Cambodia and has hired a new country director, Kim Pagna. AIP Foundation, a road safety non-profit organization with headquarters in Hanoi, has operated in Cambodia for six years and recently opened an office in Phnom Penh. Pagna will lead countrywide operations, including public awareness education, school-based programs, advocacy, research and bolstering partnerships with private sectors.

“In 2010, road traffic crashes caused the largest non-communicable-disease burden in Cambodia,” said Pagna. “I look forward to working with AIP Foundation to combat this growing public health crisis; and to helping AIP Foundation with their commitment to put a helmet on every head.” Pagna joins the AIP Foundation after working for two years as road safety project manager for the Cambodian Red Cross. He had previously led the Coalition for Road Safety, a Cambodian road safety non-profit organization, as Executive Director.

Photo: Kim Pagna joins AIP Foundation as Cambodian country director

News Update

A recent accident killing 9 in Bangkok has shed new focus on road safety in Thailand. Motorcycles are involved in 90% of road traffic crashes in Thailand and children and young adults are at particularly high risk. To address the risk to children, AIP Foundation promotes road safety through school-based programs such as its signature Helmets for Kids program. Through Helmets for Kids, children receive free helmets and road safety education, impacting not only the individual student, but also teachers, parents, and the entire school community.

For more information, please see the full article here.

Police Seize Substandard Crash Helmets for Children from Factory in Outskirts of Bangkok

A team of police officers from the Consumer Protection Police Division and Thai Industrial Standards Institutes (TISI) raided factory buildings in the Bangbon District after an investigation that badly made children helmets were produced in there. About 1,000 helmets were found featuring cartoon characters and carrying a fake TISI standard label. The 45 year-old owner of the factory was arrested on charges of producing substandard products. He will face a jail term of up to two years and a fine of 1 million baht.

AIP Foundation Thailand Builds Partnerships with Key Road Safety Stakeholders

AIP Foundation Thailand team has been meeting with key stakeholder organizations in the public and private sectors to discuss ways to cooperate and to help the Government promote the Year of the Crash Helmet. Some of the organizations targeted include the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Bangkok Traffic Police, Pandora, DHL, Bureau of Highway Safety, and Global Road Safety Partnership. Efforts to build and expand a partnership network will continue.