While giving Introduction of the BIGRS observational study in Kampala Nukhba Zia, Assistant Scientist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health-Injury Research Uni noted that Johns Hopkins has had a strong relationship with MakSPH around research in injuries. She stated that BIGRS started in 2007 and is currently in 3rd phase now working with 29 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America by providing technical support to partners and cities, develop technical reports providing high in-depth analysis of road, vehicle, and occupant characteristics associated with the four risk factors, develop high-level status report for dissemination.
MakSPH Health Trauma, Injury and Disability (TRIAD), Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) staff and other road safety stakeholders are seen during dissemination of observational cross-sectional studies on Road Safety Risk factors at Hotel Africana last week/Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa/MakSPH.
She informed that BIGRS enhances the use of data through supporting cities and partners with customized analysis, interpretation of the results, facilitating the use of data for implementation; providing technical support on the implementation of evidence-based strategies and ensuring data is available to the right audience for monitoring progress and planning.
She said, In Kampala, they wanted to determine vehicle speed rates in the chosen sites through systematic surveying of a portion of a community, this was done in five (5) rounds of observations. It was carried out on selected roads at selected time and days, 404,096 Observations were made in 4 Divisions, in 16 Observation sites.’ Data showed that the mean speed of speeding vehicles remains high in Kampala at 57km/h as of March 2023.’
Selected Roads included Bombo Road, Mugema road, Ggaba bypass, Ggaba road/ Tank hill, Dr. Ssembeguya, Ttula road, Old Mubende road, Entebbe road, Namasole road, Kirombe road, Lukuli opposite Kawuku road, Kalungu road, Mbogo road and Biina road.
Frederick Oporia, the Head of the Trauma Injury and Disability (TRIAD) unit at MakSPH expressed that TRIAD is the only injury unit in Uganda and in the region, carrying out research specifically in road safety, drowning and rehabilitation and other unintentional injuries.
He expressed gratitude that with the presence of representatives from research arm of the Parliament and the enforcement arm (Uganda Police) and other stakeholders in road safety, the engagement will inform the next course action in reducing road crashes.
“MakSPH mandate is to generate data/evidence, so we are here to share the data with the stakeholders, and the data can later inform decision making and we believe the invited persons will complement on the next step.” Said Oporia.
“One of the reasons why much data is not changed to policy is because we use statistical terms which cannot be easily understood by majority of the end users. We hope that with the discussion and feedback we shall improve our data away from just academia.” He added.
On his part, SP Kananura Michael, Community Liaisons Officer for Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety – Uganda Police Force noted that the data that was presented by Makerere University School of Public Health is an eye opener for Traffic Directorate and admitted that they are going to incorporate this information to inform how they will continue doing their work effectively.
“The date is very detailed and accurate because it is no far from what we have. This is going to help us on how to plan for our operations and enforcement plans for example we now understand that there are challenges on helmets and when riders don’t use helmets, in case of crashes, they die. We shall also put much of our focus on seat-belts because we have now understood that they are very vital in safeguarding road users”. He said.
He said that the shared data has also triggered Uganda Police to fuel sensitizations. “In most cases when we do sensitizations and then we don’t have enough information and research, people may not believe us. We (Traffic Police) have realized that its sensitization that will help most of these people but when its backed by data”
“I commend so much MakSPH, for the work it has done, bringing on board all stakeholders to share this data which will improve our service delivery.” He added.
At the event, Fred Tumwine Nkuruho, the Executive Director of Uganda Road Accident Reduction Network Organization (URRENO) noted that as NGOs, they depend on data because it informs their interventions and that in their advocacy processes, they need evidence-based information therefore the data fuels their interventions.
He said, with the data at hand, they look forward to work with Government institutions, Uganda Police and other agencies to make sure that the interventions are successful.
“As we talk now, their are efforts to improve our data management systems, for example Ministry of Works and URRENO are doing some works that were funded by United Nations Road Safety funds and shortly, UNRA will have a project funded by World Bank to improve our road crash data management system, so it’s important that we have all this because it will help in working with correct information.” He said.
According to Stellah Namatovu, the BIGRS Surveillance Coordinator, Kampala City Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety, Kampala Capital City Authority Report of 2021 shows that death by road user and casual vehicles totalled to 419, fatal crash location between 2019-2021 are Entebbe Road with 36, Kissasi-Nalya Roundabout (Northern bypass) with 31, Busega-Namungoona Roundabout (Northern bypass) with 30, Gayaza Roundabout (Kalerwe)- Kyebando Roundabout with 27 and Ggaba Road with 26.
Pedestrians and serious injury crash locations between 2019-2021 were Kampala Road, Jinja Road-Nakawa Traffic Lights and Queen’s Way-Najjanankumbi Corridor. Then for Vehicle crash locations in the same period were Northern bypass (Bwaise-Nalya Roundabout), Bombo Road, Kampala Road, Nateete Road and Kibuye Roundabout.