| |
Helmet Vaccine Newsletter- June 2011 |
 |
|
|
Greetings road safety stakeholders,
Last
month we participated in the global launch of the Decade of Action for
Road Safety (2011-2020), and this month we have been busy putting our
plans into action. Through the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative, AIP
Foundation will play a key role in the Decade of Action for Road Safety
in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Uganda, and many other developing
countries worldwide. I look forward to increased participation from the
international community in efforts to mitigate the impact of road
traffic crashes.
Sincerely,
Greig Craft
President/CEO
AIP Foundation/ Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative |
1. Global
2. Vietnam
Uganda Helmet Vaccine Initiative Announces Hard Launch
May 30, 2011, Kampala
Pop singer Bobi Wine models a Uganda Helmet Vaccine Initiative helmet
|
The
Uganda Helmet Vaccine Initiative, led by Arrive Alive Uganda and the
Automobile Association of Uganda, announced its launch at a press
conference in Kampala. The press conference featured pop star Bobi
Wine, who spoke to youth and boda-boda drivers (motorcycle taxi drivers)
about the importance of wearing helmets.
“I
am appealing to the public, the ghetto youth and my guys the boda boda
riders, to embrace helmet use without police enforcement. Let us all
behave responsibly,” said Bobi Wine. “Helmet use reduces fatality by
42% and severe injury by 69%.”
In
2010, 2,954 lives were lost on Uganda’s roads; 44 percent of these
deaths involved motorcycles. Research shows that 30.5 percent of
Ugandans wear helmets when riding motorcycles in Kampala and only 22.8
percent do in Mbale. Based on this research, the Uganda Helmet Vaccine
Initiative will create an action plan to promote helmet use and road
safety under the five-pillar model of the Global Helmet Vaccine
Initiative: public awareness education, technical assistance, targeted
programs, helmet provision, and research. The Uganda Helmet Vaccine
Initiative is a subsidiary of the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative, an
international road safety coalition that promotes universal helmet use
in developing countries.
|
AIP Foundation Delivers Presentation at the International Conference on Spinal Cord Medicine and Rehabilitation
|
June 8, 2011, Washington, D.C.
AIP
Foundation representative Bella Dinh-Zarr delivered a presentation
titled “Affordable Helmets Make Helmet Laws Successful” at the 2011
International Conference on Spinal Cord Medicine & Rehabilitation in
Washington D.C. Her presentation outlined the steps leading up to
Vietnam’s passage of a mandatory adult helmet law in 2007, including AIP
Foundation’s national public awareness campaign and grassroots
community programs. She further discussed the Global Helmet Vaccine
Initiative’s adoption of AIP Foundation’s successful model in Vietnam to
be implemented in developing countries worldwide.
|
News Update
Concerted Effort Required for Road Safety
May 26, 2011, Hanoi
The
Prime Minister sent a dispatch to all relevant ministries urging them
to collaborate to improve road safety. He recognized 20 provinces that
have decreased road traffic crashes and fatalities in recent years,
including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Dong Nai province where AIP
Foundation has implemented many programs including its Safe Routes to
School, Helmets for Kidsg, Safe Kids Walk This Way, and Click on Safety e-Learning programs.
For more information, please see the full article here.
AIP Foundation Hosts Road Safety Quiz at Children’s Day Celebration
May 30, 2011, Hanoi
AIP Foundation representatives and helmet mascot perform on stage
|
On
Children’s Day, AIP Foundation conducted a game show quiz on stage to
engage students in road safety questions and test their knowledge about
helmets at a People’s Committee celebration in Cau Giay District. More
than 1,600 students from primary and secondary schools in Cau Giay
participated in the event. The questions focused on correct or
incorrect helmet use and common myths about child helmets. Each student
who answered a question correctly received a free Protec helmet as a
prize. This event was part of AIP Foundation’s 3-year “Head Safe.
Helmet On.” campaign to promote child helmet use in target areas in
Vietnam, including Cau Giay District in Hanoi.
|
AIP Foundation Partners with Ho Chi Minh Open University for Driving Skills Focus Groups
June 2011, Ho Chi Minh City
Open University students conduct focus groups
In
95% of road traffic crashes, the driver is at fault. To improve
drivers’ skills, AIP Foundation is creating a series of short
educational video clips for new and experienced drivers on safe driving
behaviors. The videos will address common driving issues relevant to
both motorcycle and four-wheeled vehicle drivers.
AIP
Foundation recently finished the first phase of the program, in which
researchers conducted focus groups with adult drivers to better
understand their knowledge and skills and identify common dangerous
driving behaviors to target gaps in driving knowledge. AIP Foundation
partnered with Ho Chi Minh Open University sociology students who served
as moderators of focus groups, which included high school students,
university students, parents, workers, and traffic police.
Cam Thuong Primary School Illustrates Best Practices for Helmets for Kids Program
May 24, 2011, Hai Duong
Teachers and students march with national flags and helmets at launch ceremony
Cam Thuong Primary School is a Helmets for Kids
school that has been consistently sponsored by Diversey Hygiene since
2007, with programs providing replacement helmets and helmets to new
students every year through 2011. The school has maintained a high
helmet use rate, measured at 88.3 percent in May 2011, and has
demonstrated many best practices that can be replicated at other Helmets for Kids
schools. These practices include engaging the principal and teachers to
take ownership of the program and conduct their own activities, forming
a student and teacher club to promote road safety, and expanding
activities into the local community to spread awareness beyond the
school.
The Helmets for Kids
program is AIP Foundation’s signature school-based program, through
which a sponsor “adopts” a primary school and provides helmets and road
safety education to students and teachers. Helmets for Kids has
been implemented in Vietnam since 2000 and AIP Foundation performs
yearly evaluations to improve the program. These best practices will be
incorporated into the Helmets for Kids program for the 2011-2012 school
year.
News Update
Thailand Launches 10 Year Road Safety Campaign
May 11, 2011, Bangkok
Thailand
launched a ten-year road safety initiative with the goal of achieving
100 percent helmet use during the Decade of Action for Road Safety. The
Thai government has named 2011 “The Year of the Crash Helmet” and has
required all government ministries to promote universal helmet use in
their domains.
For more information, please see the full article here.
June 6, 2011, Hanoi
Thai delegation representatives meet with Chief Secretariat of NTSC, Thanh Van Thanh, and AIP Foundation president Greig Craft
The
Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation hosted a Thai road safety
delegation of senior government officials from the Department of
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) and Thai private sector
stakeholders in Hanoi. The delegation visited AIP Foundation’s
non-profit Protec helmet factory and discussed the possibility of
developing a similar non-profit helmet enterprise in Thailand.
In
addition, the delegation met with the Chief Secretariat of the National
Traffic Safety Committee, Thanh Van Thanh, and exchanged ideas and best
practices. Both countries have similar goals to improve road safety and
save lives.
The
Thai delegation included representatives from the DDPM, Honda Company
Limited, the Road Accident Victims Protection Company Limited, Naresuan
University, the Accident Prevention Network, and the Thai Motorcycle
Enterprise Association.
News Update
Social Marketing Workshop on Road Safety
In
Cambodia, more than 90% of road traffic crashes are caused by human
errors. As part of the National Road Safety Action Plan (2006-2010), the
National Road Safety Committee (NRSC), a key AIP Foundation partner,
conducted public awareness campaigns to promote safe driving behaviors.
Public awareness campaigns will continue to be the NRSC’s priority in
the government’s ten-year road safety plan (2011 to 2020).
For more information, please see the full article here.
June 17, 2011, Phnom Penh
Officials of the General Commissariat of National Police meet with AIP Foundation representatives
A
delegation of AIP Foundation leadership including the President,
Executive Director and Global Development Director visited Cambodia to
advocate for the government’s passage of a passenger helmet law and to
explore partnerships with key government agencies, embassies,
development organizations, and the private sector. These partnerships
will be critical for the Cambodian Helmet Vaccine Initiative’s
three-year campaign to increase passenger helmet use.
In
2010, road traffic crashes were the largest non-communicable-disease
burden in Cambodia causing 1,816 fatalities and costing the country
approximately 279 million USD. Motorcycles are the main source of road
traffic deaths and injuries and helmet-less riders are a high-risk group
for traumatic brain injuries. AIP Foundation launched the Cambodia
Helmet Vaccine in May 2010 to promote universal helmet use, with a
particular focus on passenger helmet use and children.
During
the visit, AIP Foundation met with senior representatives of General
Commissariat of National Police to review the existing Memorandum of
Understanding and discuss a new 3-year partnership. Moreover, the Global
Development Director met with the National Road Safety Committee Deputy
Secretary General and their senior technical officials to offer
consultation on the 10-year National Road Safety Policy.
|
|
