ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

Since low and middle-income countries carry the greatest proportion of the burden of injury, it is urgent to research and develop additional strategies which are appropriate, cost efficient and effective for these parts of the world. To convince policy makers to act without delay we need to be able to show not only the burden of injuries but that we have cost-effective solutions to propose.

Etienne Krug, Director,
Dept of Injuries and Violence Prevention,
World Health Organisation - 6th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Control.
May 2002, Montreal, Canada

“It is sad that many accident victims survive the accident in the first instance but pass away due to late emergence response and wrongful handling at the spot or on the way to hospital. Basis First Aid skills and fast emergency can save lives”.

National Road Safety Strategy 2006-2010 by Ghana National Road Safety Commission.

Consequent to these statements, organisations working for safer roads in Africa have a duty to promote innovative approaches that address preventable deaths and injuries. The Carry First Aid Box Campaign (Carry! FAb) offers a new paradigm for dealing with road safety in developing countries. It is a fresh approach to achieve enhanced community participation in rescue operations for crash victims on African roads especially given today’s intolerable safety records all across African roads. Carry! FAb is a sustainable strategy to support the endorsement of African road safety experts that FA training should be a fundamental priority for road users and FA box, a standard measure in cars. It intends to build local capacities that will respond rapidly to road crashes in African countries every year. However, to achieve this, much more needs to be done to inform road users about the benefits of FA and why FAB must be in every vehicle.

Carry! FAb through strategy development, advocacy and consultancy intends to foster partnership between National road safety agencies, NGOs and private sector in Africa for the execution of commercial and charity first aid training for the purpose of road fatality and injury reduction; awareness creation on the benefits of FA, standardisation of FA training and to address funding inadequacies of lead road safety agencies in Africa.

The campaign intends to be a lead advocate on FA for road users in Africa with volunteers working in almost every community. Its objective is to independently engage 50,000 adults, youths and children to learn first aid in Nigeria in the first six months of inception of the campaign and through proposed partnership with the Nigeria’s National road safety agency train 20,000,000 Nigerians on FA in three years. The overall aim is to train 80,000,000 road users on FA across the African continent in the next five years.

In Africa, since credible research on its communities has shown that 50% of deaths on the spot of road crash are not caused by severity of the crash but due to minor injuries like airway blockage, breathing difficulties and circulation problems which could have been addressed by FA. The success of the Carry! FAb is predicted to the biggest lifesaver with potential to cut road risk in the African continent by about 30%. Also, Carry! FAb when properly implemented would contribute significantly to the goal of most African National road safety agencies to halve the number of road traffic fatalities by 2010. However, achieving success will require all well meaning individuals, NGOs, development partners, governments, national road safety agencies and corporate citizens to join in this important issue of saving lives on the roads.

Already, in Nigeria; the Carry! FAb initiative has set the pace by building partnerships for providing presentations and promotional materials for road safety experts, “champions” or advocates to use at speaking engagements and follow up information are being distributed to commercial drivers and fleet operators in anticipation of the take off of a national FA programme by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Nigeria’s National regulating road safety agency.

THE Carry! FAb CAMPAIGN IN NIGERIA

“Don’t be another staggering statistic or a helpless bystander, Carry! FAb”

Background

Presently, the focus country for the pilot phase of the Carry! FAb campaign is Nigeria and even without a formal launch, the campaign has taken off on a solid foundation especially with the support of the Management of the FRSC. Specifically, prior to the endorsement of a National FA programmes for countries in Africa by meeting of experts in Ghana 2007, the Management of the FRSC in December 2006 had expressed its willingness to implement a Nationwide first Aid programme.

In Nigeria, the proposition that there is great need for first aid to be administered to victims of accidents is almost a platitude today, heard at myriad conferences and workshops. The Carry! FAb campaign therefore cannot claim originality in the call for FA in cars but its mission is to go further, to put the idea to practice, take FA campaign to the community level and to take a systematic approach to creating awareness on the benefits and knowledge on FA among drivers and road users by encouraging people to Carry! FAb before enforcement across the African continent. The Carry! FAb campaign aims to drastically reduce deaths and injuries at the scene of road crashes by building partnership to support this FA campaign.

Preceding the Carry! FAb campaign, the media has been awash with calls for enhanced response for road crash victims through application of FA by bystanders. In 1997, in a well-publicised newspaper article, a public analyst and safety advocate, Mr. Osita Chidoka in response to a fatal plane crash incident called for compulsory FA training of communities living by airports and highways. Coincidentally, ten years after his call to save lives through FA application, Mr. Chidoka was appointed the head Nigeria’s regulating road safety agency (Federal Road Safety Commission-FRSC). Ever since his assumption of office as the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Mr. Chidoka has not relented in the pursuit of his dream for enhanced rescue for accident victims. Also, in 2001, the Nigerian Red Cross Society launched its First Aid Manual in which Nigeria’s Ex- President Obasanjo in writing the foreword clearly stated the importance of First Aid. Although in 2006, the immediate past management of the FRSC of Nigeria, announced its consent to execute a National FA programme, this was not achieved perhaps due to incomplete implementation strategies but the officers of the FRSC’s research and rescue departments deserve praise for their various activities and sensitisation on FA. Of particular mention are the local and international efforts of its many officers including Dele Browne at the meeting of experts in Ghana (2007), Yakubu Attah at the World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion in Vienna Austria (Safety 2004) and the many supportive efforts of Boboye Oyeyemi at various local and international Conferences. It is therefore obvious that the appointment of a new Corps Marshal, Mr. Osita Chidoka, an ardent supporter of enhanced rescue operations through community approach has given boost to FRSC endorsement for FA which has served as a natural motivation for the Carry! FAb campaign.

The role played by the civil society has been very encouraging. SAVAN, a foremost Nigerian NGO involved in rescue operations and enhanced treatment of road accident victims has been very helpful in saving lives through its many volunteers. At the individual level, many management staff and officers of the FRSC have regularly feed the public with information on FA related issues on Television and newspaper columns. One independent but strong FA advocate and health trainer in recent years is Mrs. Fayo Williams of RELYSUP Company. Mrs. Williams regular weekly column in a popular newspaper is helping to build the interest of Nigerians on the application of FA.

Another, organisation with remarkable involvement in FA specifically for road crash victims is Prompt Assistance To Victims Of Road Accidents (PATVORA). The PATVORA Organisation under the banner Carry! FAb are the initiators of this Continental FA campaign to create awareness on FA issues and give impetus to the endorsement of meeting of experts for the mandatory carrying of FA box in all cars and the training of drivers on FA. PATVORA was set up in 2001 with focus on the huge neglected accident victims' group. Since 2003, the PATVORA Organisation has been at the forefront of the advocacy for FA knowledge amongst road users in the African continent and it has assisted and collaborated with many National road safety agencies working in the African Continent to solve road safety problems by combining professionalism with excellence. Members of PATVORA have to their credit twenty-five scholarly publications including ten road rescue and FA related issues which have been presented at international conferences. In 2003, the PATVORA Organisation presented a proposal “Road Casualty Reduction Scheme for African Road Users to the FRSC for implementation. This proposal became the first of a number of First Aid projects to address rescue operations through Public Private Partnership (PPP). The tri sector partnership approach employed by the scheme does not require government funding and would not attract any cost to over 85% of road users especially in communities in Africa where 95% of the population rely on road transportation for their commuting needs. Continuing on from Nigeria, in 2004 PATVORA Organisation submitted the abstract of its on Road Casualty Reduction project to the Scientific Committee of the 7th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, Vienna, Austria. The abstract was selected for presentation at the conference and it was successfully presented on the auspices of a fellowship granted by Road Traffic Injury Research Network (RTIRN). The FRSC expressed continued great interest in the scheme, as such, it sponsored three of its Management staff to witness the presentation and assess project’s rating and acceptance. Thereafter, many progressive discussions have been held with the management of the FRSC on implementation strategies and talks are on going. In the past three years, PATVORA has conducted public first aid training in over 100 locations in Nigeria with focus on drivers and road users at public motor parks, patrol stations on highways for its attendants and kids in schools. The pilot scheme for FA training of drivers and road users at public motor parks and training of patrol station attendants on highways were launched and presented during the World Health Day 2004 celebration and the UN road safety week in 2007 respectively.

PATVORA’s modest but outstanding efforts at the National and international levels are evinced from the commendations and recognitions it has received from many organisations including the UK Department for International Development (DFID), European Union Road Foundation (ERF), Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), Road Traffic Injury Research Network (RTIRN), Global Transportation Knowledge Partnership (GtKP), Shell Petroleum Development Company (Nigeria), ChevronTexaco, Red cross, WHO Afro region and Drive & Stay Alive, amongst others that have acknowledged and commended PATVORA’s commitment to road fatality reduction and FA promotion. PATVORA is currently discussing collaborative initiatives with many local and international road safety agencies including the FIA foundation U.K, British Redcross, Salim & Slimah Oman and International Red Cross and Crescent Societies.

The PATVORA Organisation is consistently advancing FA related issues for road users in Africa and it has a dedicated page on first aid training on its website www.patvora.org which is linked on websites of important road safety interest organisations like the UN ECE transport, Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), International Road Federation, World Bank transport, Global Transport knowledge Partnership (GTKP), Drive and Stay Alive among others.

The Carry! FAb Campaign So Far.

The Carry! FAb campaign has developed videos showing how the initiative is helping to raise awareness about the impact of lack of first aid. Following the successful pre- launch of this online Carry! FAb campaign, which is designed to speed-up the take-off of FA National programme in the African continent, the Carry! FAb campaign in Nigeria is presently providing opportunities for people to learn first aid, embrace its benefits and share views. The Carry! FAb campaign so far is close to accomplishing 60% of its target to independently engage 50,000 adults, youths and children to learn first aid across Nigeria in three months of its inception. With the collaboration of other interest groups, like the National Youth Service Corps-Delta State, volunteers of the PATVORA Organisation and members of Centre for Emergency Help and Accident Prevention (CEHAP), the campaign is offering free training on first aid by preparing people to cope with emergencies on the roads or in the event of a major incident.

At community level, the Carry! FAb campaign is networking with like-minded individuals and organisations. The campaign is also using volunteers of PATVORA and willing members the Nigerian Red cross. The campaign has enlisted the assistance of existing community groups, such as members of the NYSC road safety club and school teachers in Delta state. Presently, instructional first aid videos from the British Red Cross and other organisations are being used and have been made available to two state broadcast TV stations and road unions.

Carry! FAb is developing a new, thought-provoking advertising campaign to encourage people to learn first aid. The new campaign is designed to make people think twice about their own first aid knowledge. Our message is please learn first aid – Don't wait till you need it. Various First aid courses are being designed and will soon be available to teach the essentials of first aid and for families and corporate organisations who want to learn first aid together and this will make learning first aid easier than ever before - even for those who do not want, or are unable, to attend courses outside the home. An inspirational DVD to teach people first aid is almost ready and interactive downloadable first aid resources for people are being developed in partnership with Youth for Safety, a community based youth initiative in Asaba, Delta State. and a production of a first aid resource pack is currently in the works. This resource pack will be easily available for free on the campaign website.

Carry! FAb has also initiated a community Care Network programme in collaboration with Women-Go-For-Safety Organisation, a voluntary school traffic calming initiative by mothers. In the coming weeks, the programme will train market communities on the highways. The aim of the programme is to encourage rural communities to take greater responsibility for their own first aid and medical needs. The scheme will recruit volunteers and give them a small stockpile of first aid kits.

In Nigeria, the start up work of Carry! FAb campaign seems to have been made less difficult with the FRSC already in the lead on first aid promotion and PATVORA recording a good but limited success with its previous and existing free FA training programmes for road users. To hope for increased success of Carry! FAb campaign is almost assured with the implied support of the new management of the FRSC as led by Mr. Osita Chidoka.

The campaign in the coming weeks will call on the FRSC to take its pioneering stance by partnering with the Carry! FAb campaign as the new project managers for effective co-ordination, enhanced reach and accomplishment of desirable results.

Through implementation of the strategies of the Carry! FAb in a National First Aid programme by the FRSC, the target is to have a potential reach of twenty million Nigerians trained on first Aid by the year 2010 and assist the FRSC in meeting its mission of halving the number of road accident victims in Nigeria by 2010.

For the purpose of quick and ease of replication by other National road safety organisations promoting FA in the developing world, the following strategies of the Carry! FAb campaign have been made simple.

Partnership Outlook

Other groups which will be brought in to support the Carry! FAb programme will include, organised private sector, labour, police, religious bodies, traditional rulers, academic and research institutions, students’ and teachers’ unions, youth and gender groups. Media involvement is very necessary. For more detailed information about the Carry! FAb partnership, download a copy of the Campaign brief or contact Carry! FAb campaign manager.

Recommended and Proposed Strategies
The Carry! FAb partnership intends to contribute in optimizing the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, under which over 200,000 university and other tertiary school graduates undertake one-year national service with options in road safety for their community development engagement. Under this proposed collaboration with existing NYSC road safety clubs, about 50,000 graduates will be targeted for FA training and to act as volunteers of the campaign. Those so trained are expected to act as peer educators, each training a minimum of 40 youths in and out of their service year, culminating to about 2 million people to whom first aid education would have been imparted in each year.

First Aid emergency procedure posters would be pasted on major public centres like motor parks, bus terminals, post offices, drinking palours, major hotels, schools and other significant populated places. The poster gives general instructions on how to render First aid in various circumstances and what phone numbers to call for assistance.

Road shows will be conducted in selected cities in all states of the federation for the purpose of promoting the campaigns and picking contestants for a National first aid contest. The road show will use local talents and languages.

The campaign also intends to work out an understanding with manufacturers of soft drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages to join in the FA promotion campaign by using their company’s’ vast marketing and distribution infrastructure, which extend to even the remotest areas of the country, to reach young people - among the greatest consumers of its products. Through this medium, not only will literature on FA be disseminated, plans are also afoot to use the companies marketing vans to broadcast information in local languages to people in far-flung places.

Carry! FAb partnership will promote FA messages at many venues across the country in collaboration with FRSC, PATVORA, NYSC and willing members of the Nigerian Red Cross. Over 50 Road Traffic accident simulations will take place in major cities. These simulation exercises will demonstrate to the public the actions recommended for bystanders to take at the scene of a road accident. By-standers will be shown what to do and what not to do in the case of a road accident. Information leaflets will also be distributed.

Carry! FAb partnership will organise large events with the theme 'Thank you for saving my life! in collaboration with some oil companies and corporate organisations in Nigeria. Demonstrations of first aid in traffic accidents will take place in some Stadia before important football matches, these will involve demonstrations of cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a dummy, how to give first aid when someone is bleeding badly, and how to pull someone injured in car accident out of the car.

Leaflets will be inserted in the country's largest newspapers and magazines and first aid competition for school children will be initiated.

Carry! FAb partnership would seek partnership with Corporate organisations and NGOs that are willing to provide fast and efficient network of HELP-CENTRES, equipped with ambulances and co-ordinated by radio/mobile phone, as well as a free emergency help-line numbers for road traffic victims.

Carry! FAb partnership will form relationships and working partnerships with relevant government institutions and agencies, road user’s organisations, non-governmental organisations and other civil society institutions, academia, media and private sector building on the existing local structures, experience and skills, to plan, develop and manage appropriate First Aid activities which best respond to challenges posed by road accident victims.

Carry! FAb partnership will initiate Media campaigns and the video will be made available in several versions (English and vernacular). Many television stations across Nigeria will be encouraged to be very interested in the local activities going on.

Carry! FAb partnership will develop newsletters and write newspaper columns, to enable the public learn about its activities. This publicity is intended to inspire the public or community to embrace First Aid activities.

There are plans to expand and modify the scope of the programme after the FRSC has officially taken over the management of this campaign in Nigeria.

Specific Media Campaign

“Halving the number of road accident victims by 2010 - a shared responsibility”

With the strong conviction that the media are at the centre of sustainable development, the Carry! FAb project is using the media as vehicle and forum for education, dialogue and debate on first aid and other road safety related issues. Media campaign will provide opportunities to shape opinions, influence agenda and arouse interest of road users on First Aid. Already, the Carry! FAb media campaign has developed advocacy programmes and conceived media plans that will assist creating awareness through persuasive development communication to ensure the success of the Carry! FAb project. Carry! FAb media campaign comprises of short, medium and long-term strategies that are specific, measurable and achievable. This includes gentle reminders on the usefulness of First Aid, literature on first aid lessons and effective partnership with the media including training of a core group of journalists who will be committed to the campaign.

Carry! FAb messages are designed to be socio-cultural, accurate, relevant, consistent and timeliness. These messages are intended to reach people in newspapers, Radio, internet and through print advertising, in and around traffic with bus sides, and via the use of radio.

Resource Development

- Radio and TV Programmes

Lesson for Life
The Real Story Behind Senseless Death and Injury on Our Roads
Simple Solutions to Help Save Lives
People On The Road

The above resources have been developed to inform road users and policy makers on first aid facts by encouraging them to learn and administer it. The resources focus on first help measures for road crash victims and the consequences that result from lack of knowledge. They are part of a massive effort to educate young road users on FA and spur them, their communities and governments to accelerate action on behalf of young road users that are threatened by this crisis. Also, the resources have been designed to be useful in both formal and non-formal education settings. The objectives of these resources are to encourage people to take responsibility for their safety on the roads in road crash situations. Two radio stations have indicated interest to partner on this scheme as the vehicle for these advertisements. It is anticipated that many road users will hear these advertisements and will be involved in this Carry! FAb project. The TV adverts are 30-second commercials and are expected to draw attention to the message Carry! FAb.

Click to view for recommended Press Ad
Click to download for recommended Radio Ad

People On The Road

Given that the overall objective of the Carry! FAb is road fatality reduction, the Carry! FAb campaigners duly recognise and acknowledge that there is no single intervention that can solve all the problems of road safety crisis. As such, the Carry! FAb intends to compliment its various campaign activities by producing a weekly TV Series “PEOPLE ON THE ROAD”. This will help to disseminate information on FA and other important road safety issues. The TV programme will bring to viewers, news, views and awareness on FA and safe driving. The primary objective will be to educate road users on road safety situation and highlight the defects on the road safety agenda, as well as provide solutions. The programme is intended to fill the yawning gap between knowledge of what works and what is practiced without boring lectures. The programme which is recommended to be a partnership programme with the National road safety agency will cater for all road users. The programme will be modelled on the psychological theory of behaviour change. A structured model with an interacting combination of 3 concepts; salient beliefs, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control will be adopted. The TV project will through educational, sensitisation and advocacy strategies demonstrate ways in which road fatalities can be reduced and it will address FA issues and other road safety matters relating to young road users, drunk driving, aggressive driving, uncaring pedestrians, driving too fast, black spots, road safety education, advocacy and under funding of road safety activities in both urban and rural areas. It will be an exciting and informative series of 52 episodes. It will be a highly interactive weekly scheme with fun. The programme will be segmented. Each segment will present Road safety messages in interesting ways. Celebrities will be featured, road safety school debate and quiz competitions will be given special coverage. This series would give entertaining inputs regarding the knowledge a driver needs to have to be safe on the road. Major aspects of driving like safe driving, rules and regulations, traffic and road safety norms, do's and don'ts, insurance rights and liabilities, duties towards other drivers and pedestrians, helpful tips on better driving would be covered. Also, car maintenance tips, legal rights and obligation would be included in the series/ programme in an interesting and informative manner. The programme will have a wide spectrum of themes on safe driving and how to stay accident free. The one-hour Programme will have 10 minutes exclusively dedicated to discussions on a selected topic on road safety. Also, the programme will cover road crash sites and the audio-visual is intended to create desirable impact upon the mind of the viewers. Views and Opinion of role models, community leaders or those who share our concerns on road safety crisis and can influence behaviour pattern of road users will be aired. The estimated reach of the programmes will be 10 million. Professionals who are conversant with the road safety regulations and automobile terminology will anchor this programme. After the opening montage and title/signature tune, the anchor person(s) would give a prelude/ brief description of what lies in store for the day. Many topics would be covered in various episodes of the weekly series and a compulsory FA segment will be included in every episode.

- Newspaper and Magazine Programmes

Adverts in newspapers will be supported by newsletter inserts, which highlight issues such as - first aid. "what do you do when you meet a road crash victim". Road Safety Officers and individuals are expected to use these resources to encourage the participation of community leaders, role models and religious leaders in their areas. A media launch of this project is recommended to be undertaken at the discretion of each state commands of the FRSC and will probably be along the lines of the recommendations of the Carry! FAb campaign

Click to download recommended newspaper Ad