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Helmet Vaccine Newsletter- Oct/Nov 2010
October and November have been busy months at the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation, as we are gearing up for the UN's Decade of Action for Road Safety, which will begin in May 2011. We continue to innovate and build new programs in Vietnam, such as our e-learning curriculum, which we launched in October in Dong Nai province. We are also increasing our international presence through the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative and I’m happy to announce that we are now working in Lebanon with the Kunhadi Foundation acting as the lead NGO for the Lebanon Helmet Vaccine Initiative. Happy holidays and stay safe! Sincerely, Greig Craft
1. Recent Events
2. News Updates
3. Vietnam
4. Cambodia
5. Thailand
UN Road Safety Collaboration Holds Decade of Action Meeting in GenevaGeneva, Switzerland, 5 October 2010 AIP Foundation President Greig Craft attended the UN Road Safety Collaboration meeting in Geneva and participated in working groups to establish a plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety. The Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative will be one of the major initiatives undertaken as part of the Decade of Action and this forum allowed international stakeholders to gain a better understanding of the model. Under the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative, successful models for helmet distribution, legislative reform, road safety curriculum development, and public awareness education piloted in Vietnam will be shared with other developing countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative Launched in LebanonBeirut, Lebanon, 14 October 2010
The Lebanon Helmet Vaccine Initiative launched operations in Beirut on the 14th of October, led by local road safety NGO Kunhadi. Kunhadi staff distributed 1,200 free helmets to restaurant delivery motorcyclists and will donate an additional 850 helmets to Internal Security Forces motorcyclists in January 2011. The event was so-sponsored by Mawared Bank in a public-private partnership with the local government, Kunhadi, and the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative. The Helmet Vaccine Initiative will support Kunhadi, a national road safety organization that tackles issues including helmet use, drink driving, and seat belt use. Fady Gebrane, founder and president of Kunhadi, delivered a presentation on the importance of motorcycle safety and law enforcement. "$1.4 billion or 4% of GDP is the cost of injuries and fatalities in roadcrashes annually," said Gebrane. "Whereas the rate allocated for speeding cameras is around 100 million USD, and you only have to pay it once and for all." Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative CEO Greig Craft attended the event and welcomed Lebanon as the newest member of the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative, whose other member countries include Vietnam, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Uganda and Senegal. The Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative strives to put "a helmet on every head in the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011 - 2020)," targeting developing countries which account for 90% of road traffic crash fatalities. "Fady Gebrane's dedication and commitment to road safety will be the catalyst to Lebanon becoming a leader for saving lives in the Middle East," said Craft. The Lebanon Helmet Vaccine Initiative will focus on providing police training and police helmets, establishing helmet standards, and advising on construction of a helmet testing lab. Automobile Association Philippines Visits AIP Foundation in HanoiHanoi, November 2010 In November, representatives from the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) visited AIP Foundation's office in Hanoi on a fact finding mission to better understand how the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative's five pillars are implemented. AAP partnered with AIP Foundation in May 2010 on a helmet donation ceremony attended by Road Safety Goodwill Ambassador Michelle Yeoh. The AAP's visit included a tour of the Protec helmet factory - the non-profit helmet manufacturer that supports the Vietnam Helmet Vaccine Initiative - and meetings with AIP Foundation leadership.
Ugandan Road Safety Stakeholders Hold Strategic Planning MeetingKampala, 22 November 2010
Traffic Accidents Are Top Killer of U.S. Travelers AbroadRoad traffic crashes are responsible for approximately 30% of deaths of U.S. travelers while abroad, killing 1,820 travelers every year. The WHO reports that 25,000 foreign travelers in total are killed by road traffic crashes. AIP Foundation is addressing this devastating trend through its Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative, a coalition of international road safety stakeholders that promote universal helmet use and road safety in developing countries. Source: USA Today (10/21/10). Manufacturers of Substandard Helmets Difficult to PunishLow quality helmets are widespread in Vietnam due to their cheap prices (1-2 USD) and lack of public awareness of what constitutes a high quality helmet. The Ministry of Health reports that fake or substandard helmets cause 15.9% of traumatic brain injuries from road traffic crashes. The police have difficulty punishing manufacturers of poor quality helmets, as they are unable to prove whether helmets are being sold to pedestrians or bicyclists. AIP Foundation's non-profit helmet manufacturer - Protec Helmets - owns the only non-government testing lab in Vietnam and enforces strict quality control over its helmets to ensure compliance with all helmet standards. Source:Vietnam News (11/5/10) . Unnecessary Deaths Due to Poor Emergency Medical ServicesRoad traffic crash fatalities could decrease by 10% per year with proper emergency medical services (EMS), according to the National Traffic Safety Committee, Vietnam. Approximately 95% of injury cases arrive to the hospital by alternative means of transport such as motorbike or taxi. AIP Foundation supports the Ministry of Health in their efforts to improve EMS and works to mitigate the impact of road traffic crashes and the need for EMS by promoting universal helmet use. Source: Dantri(11/12/10) Cambodia's Traffic Casualties Expected to ClimbCambodia has the worst fatality rate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and most of these fatalities are due to speeding, drink driving, and non-helmet use. Handicap International has been promoting road safety through school-based programs since 2004 and stresses the importance of Cambodia's 2009 passage of a mandatory helmet law as a great first step for improving the safety of the country's roads. Source: Voice of America (11/16/10)
Kathy Uyen and Thanh Bui Join the World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash VictimsHo Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 21 November 2010
Kathy Uyen and Thanh Bui express their condolences to Ly Truong Phat's parents. Ly Truong Phat was only 23 years old when he died in a motorcycle accident last June. Movie Star Kathy Uyen and Australian Idol Thanh Bui became Goodwill Ambassadors to announce The World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims, initiated by the AIP Foundation in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh Traffic Safety Committee. Together with more than 100 nations worldwide, for the first time, observed this day to remember road crash victims and empathize with the suffering of the injured and bereaved and their families. Actress Kathy Uyen and Singer Thanh Bui visited road crash victims, met with government officials to identify solutions to prevent road traffic crashes, and captured public attention for traffic safety through mass media. FedEx and Safe Kids Vietnam Launch Traffic Safety Park, E-Learning Program in Dong Nai ProvinceDong Nai, November 3, 2010
Designed like a small town, the Park has highways, one and two ways streets, a pedestrian bridge, railway, traffic signs, sidewalks, and intersections with traffic lights. It aims to provide a realistic environment for students to practice traffic safety. Ho Chi Minh City, November 3, 2010 - FedEx Express, the world's largest express transportation company and a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation/Safe Kids Vietnam officially opened a Traffic Safety Park at Quang Bien Primary School in Trang Bom District, Dong Nai Province. The 1,700 square meter park, which is part of the Safe Kids Walk This Way program, will help educate primary school students about traffic and pedestrian safety. Designed like a small town, the Park has highways, one and two ways streets, a pedestrian bridge, railway, traffic signs, sidewalks, and intersections with traffic lights. It aims to provide a realistic environment for students to practice traffic safety. The Click on Safety E-learning program for primary school students was also launched. This interactive program teaches children about pedestrian safety in a fun and safe environment. At the opening ceremony for the park, FedEx and the AIP Foundation/Safe Kids Vietnam handed over the E-learning software for Grade 1 along with teaching equipment including a laptop, projector and screen, to the representative of the Ministry of Education and Training. "With Vietnam's busy traffic conditions, pedestrians are extremely vulnerable, so FedEx is pleased to be supporting a program which will help protect personal safety, especially that of children. Safe Kids Walk This Way will teach children techniques for walking in a safe and proper way such as the correct use of zebra crossings. We hope that it will help students to avoid traffic accidents and save lives," said Nguyen Duy Binh, Senior Country Manager Indochina, head representative of FedEx Vietnam, at the Ceremony. FedEx volunteers assisted with a training workshop held after the Ceremony for over 100 primary school teachers from Trang Bom District. The workshop showed teachers how they can apply the E-learning program in the classroom as well as practice methods for traffic safety skills at the park. Vietnam is the eighth country to launch the Safe Kids Walk This Way program with FedEx. Safe Kids Walk This Way was created to improve children's pedestrian safety knowledge, to design and engineer safer environments around children's schools, and to ultimately save lives. "AIP Foundation/Safe Kids Vietnam and FedEx believe all these efforts will create a sustainable and safe environment for students who walk to and from school everyday," said Mirjam Sidik, Executive Director of the AIP Foundation/Safe Kids Vietnam. "We hope that educating and creating awareness of road safety issues will lead to behavioral change among children, the next generation of drivers and pedestrians, and result in fewer road accident deaths and injuries within Vietnam." Total Vietnam Raises VND 400,000,000 to Donate Traffic Safety Education to Vietnamese ChildrenHo Chi Minh City, 16 November 2010 Total Vietnam announced their upcoming "Racing to Raise Funds," two car race fundraising events with the goal of raising VND 400,000,000 for AIP Foundation's Safe Routes to School traffic safety program. The first event will be held online and the second will be a model car race held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center, featuring four celebrity racers: Ngo Thanh Van, Yen Trang, Ung Hoang Phuc and Tuan Hung. "Total Vietnam's mission is not only a commitment to providing customers with market leading products and international-standard expertise, but also fostering social activities," said Mr. Thierry Pflimlin, General Director of Total Asia Pacific. "We are always aware of our corporate social responsibility and the 'Racing to Raise Funds' program aimed at raising public awareness of traffic safety is the way we share with the community the most practically."
"Our goal is to encourage and inspire children, teachers, and parents as well as the local community to create a generation of safe, smart road users," said Mirjam Sidik, Executive Director of AIP Foundation. The Safe Routes to School program supplements the traffic safety education provided in the classroom with the construction of a traffic safety corner on school grounds, featuring traffic lights, zebra crossings, and four-way intersections that provide students a safe environment to practice their road safety skills. In addition, AIP Foundation evaluates the school's traffic environment and makes necessary modifications including redesigning sidewalks and adding zebra crossings.
Cai Mep International Terminal Co., Ltd. (CMIT) Promotes Road Safety Among Vietnamese Children in Ba Ria – Vung TauTan Thanh, Vietnam, 4 October 2010
CMIT, the Nguyen Thi Dinh Primary School, AIP Foundation, and the community celebrated the helmet donation and the beginning of the Helmets for Kids program at a ceremony featuring a symbolical handover of helmets to students, student performances, and speakers. The Helmets for Kids program aims to educate students and teachers on the importance of traffic safety and to encourage participants to be safer road users. Helmets for Kids provides helmets and training on helmet use to the entire student body, teachers, parents and other school staff. "Though adult helmet use is widespread in Vietnam, we continue to observe low child helmet use rates. Many parents still believe the myth that helmets cause neck injuries among children. Programs like Helmets for Kids are vital to combat this misinformation and promote child safety," said Mirjam Sidik, Executive Director at AIP Foundation. "Protecting children is a priority for CMIT; we believe children are the most vulnerable members of our society. The Helmets for Kids program is a great compliment to our company's long-term priority, which is 'Safety for Life,'" said Michael Them Rasmussen, General Director at CMIT. This is the 2nd time the two organizations have come together to support children in local communities. To support the Helmets for Kids program, CMIT donated over 10,000 USD. State agencies and local groups including the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Department of Education and Training also partnered with AIP Foundation to promote road safety through Helmets for Kids. "Programs like Helmets for Kids are a great asset to our community, as they help us build a new generation of safe, smart road users," said Nguyen Huu Du, Chief Primary Office at the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Department of Education and Training.
Global Road Safety Partnership Holds Asia Road Safety Seminar in CambodiaSiem Reap, Cambodia, 3 November 2010 Siem Reap, Cambodia, 3 November 2010- The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) hosted its annual Asia Road Safety Seminar to prepare a strategic plan for Asia in the UN's Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020). In total, 179 participants from 3 continents attended the meeting, which was co-hosted by the National Road Safety Committee. AIP Foundation's Executive Director, Mirjam Sidik, attended the meeting and delivered a presentation on the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative's role in the Decade of Action for Road Safety. She further spoke on strategies for promoting child helmet use through school-based programs. AIP Foundation acts as the lead NGO for the Cambodia Helmet Vaccine Initiative and has been advocating for road safety in Cambodia through school-based programs and public awareness campaigns. World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims Observed in CambodiaKampong Speu, Cambodia, 14 November 2010 Kampong Speu, Cambodia, 14 November 2010- AIP Foundation donated 100 helmets to children as part of a ceremony organized by local road safety stakeholders for the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Other stakeholders sponsoring the event included the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC), the Cambodia Red Cross (CRC), RS10, and corporate partners. More than 1,400 students, teachers, civil servants, and policemen attended the event to promote road safety; this marks the fifth year that Cambodia has observed the international day of remembrance.
Sofitel Bangkok Silom Donates Helmets to Thai StudentsBangkok, 24 November 2010
Road safety Goodwill Ambassador Dom Hetrakul attended the school's donation ceremony along with representatives from Sofitel Bangkok Silom, Diversey Hygiene (Thailand) Co., Ltd. AIP Foundation, and the local government. "We work so hard to keep our children healthy and safe, but then we send them to school without helmets," said Hetrakul. "How can you tell your child that you love them when you put them on a motorcycle without a helmet?" Helmets for Kids is AIP Foundation's signature school-based program that combines helmet donation with road safety education for students, parents, and teachers. Since its inception in 2000, Helmets for Kids has donated over 500,000 helmets to students at 140 schools in 7 countries.
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