By Christina Mkutumula

Lilongwe, September 23, Mana: Deputy Minister of Health Halima Daudi has said statistics of Kabaza road traffic accidents are alarming adding that road traffic injuries, especially from motorcycle accidents, present a public health crisis that touches every aspect of the nation including the health system, families and the economy.

Data of motorcycle accidents for 2022-2023 shows that 1,800 people died from injuries sustained from kabaza accidents.

“These are not just numbers behind each statistic, but a story of pain, loss, struggle particularly among young men aged between 15-59 most of whom are bread winners in the families.

“The ripple effect of these injuries extend beyond the immediate trauma, leaving long lasting socio economic scars on both families and community,” she said.

The Deputy Minister who was speaking in area 25, Nsungwi in Lilongwe on Monday at a Kabaza safety awareness campaign function, also commended the Malawi Orthopedic Association (MOA) for tirelessly working to raise awareness and promote safer practices within the Kabaza community.

She further explained that in responding to the crisis, her ministry will adopt a multifaceted approach to tackle road traffic injuries, such as investing in training and capacity building for healthcare workers particularly in emergency medicine, trauma and orthopaedic care.

A key achievement that the ministry has done together with its partners is to construct Lions Hospital which is a major milestone in bringing trauma and orthopaedic services closer to home.

“Previously, we had to refer patients abroad for treatment but now Lions hospital offer sophisticated diagnostic equipment, including MRI and CT scan along with specialized staff. This development marks a significant step forward for Malawi,” she said.

Speaking at the same function British High Commissioner to Malawi, Fiona Richie, said 10 percent of GDP is lost due to road traffic accidents and added that laws concerning road traffic should always be adhered to at all times.

In her remarks President of the Malawi Orthopaedic Association (MOA) Maureen Sabao said there is a huge burden of road accidents in the country with 49 percent percent of road accidents in the country being from Motorcycles.

“I can give an example of Lions Hospital, we have a bed capacity of 65 but right now we are operating on 135 bed capacity which means it is a huge problem, and this goes to all central hospitals as they also admit patients involved in road accidents,” she said.

She said those admitted at the hospital are many and one patient can have multiple fractures which means that if they are admitted they are using resources that could have been covered by five people. She said such fractures take time to heal to a period of not more than two to three months.

“Thus, if a person was working then he will not work for that period and economically that person is suffering and as a country we are using a lot of health budget,” she said.

One of the survivors of motorcycle accidents, James Kandulu advised fellow motorcycle operators to trade careful when on the roads, saying his life completely changed when he was involved in a road traffic accident. He was involved in a road traffic accident in April, 2021 and had cuts and lost a leg and a hand.

The Kabaza safety awareness campaign was done under the theme: Ride safe, Ride alive: walking towards safety.