Patience Makwele
World Health Organization country representative Dr Richard Banda has called for urgent investment in safer walking and cycling infrastructure, saying road crashes continue to claim lives and leave many people with permanent injuries in Namibia and across Africa.
Speaking at the launch of the UN Global Road Safety Week in Windhoek on Friday, Banda said pedestrians and cyclists remain among the most vulnerable road users because of poor infrastructure and unsafe road conditions.
“A child should be able to walk to school safely. A worker should be able to cycle to work without fear,” he said.
Banda said safer mobility is both a public health and social justice issue.
He also called for stronger law enforcement, lower speed limits in pedestrian areas and improved emergency response systems.
Banda said investments in safer roads also support health, climate resilience and sustainable development.
