Evaluating performance of a Lead Road Safety Agency (LRSA) in a low-income country: a case study from Pakistan

• Published in: International journal of injury control and safety promotion Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 136 - 143
• Main Authors: Bhatti, Junaid A., Ahmed, Aizaz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 2014
• Subjects: Accidents, Traffic - prevention & control; Biological and medical sciences; Developing Countries; developing country; evaluation; Government Agencies - organization & administration; Government Agencies - standards; health system; Humans; International Cooperation; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Motor Vehicles; Pakistan; Prevention and actions; Program Evaluation; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Safety - economics; Safety - legislation & jurisprudence; Safety - standards; surveillance; traffic accident; United Nations; World Health Organization; Asia; Pakistan; Case study; Performance evaluation; Health system; evaluation; developing country; Surveillance; Developing countries; Traffic accident; Road safety; Performance; surveillance; traffic accident; health system
• ISSN: 1745-7300; 1745-7319
• DOI: 10.1080/17457300.2013.792282

The World Health Organization recommends identifying a Lead Road Safety Agency (LRSA) within the government to coordinate preventive interventions. As LRSAs in developing countries have rarely been evaluated, this case study describes the performance of the LRSA of Pakistan with respect to the World Bank criteria. The designated LRSA, the National Road Safety Secretariat, was put into operation in 2006 and worked for about two years with World Bank funding. The agency had a stand-alone structure headed by an experienced road safety specialist during the first year only and faced difficulty in recruiting other required experts. The LRSA drafted the first National Road Safety Plan, including strategic review of road safety and existing legislation, articulated multisectorial collaboration nationally and provincially, and collected traffic injury data in some districts. Its progress was halted by its dissolution because of funding problems. Currently, two agencies specialising in traffic enforcement and transport research respectively are fulfilling LRSA functions on an ad-hoc basis. Results suggest that sustainability and consistency of LRSAs in developing countries like Pakistan may only be ensured if they are legally protected, inter-ministerial, have permanent funding and are provided with the required expertise through international cooperation, so they can perform their required functions effectively.