Uganda spends over shillings 7.5 trillion on treatment of road crash and boat accident victims every year, the health ministry has said.

The ministry has, therefore, called for government intervention to reduce crashes and accidents.

“Traffic road accidents are costing Uganda about 6% of the Growth Development Product (GDP) without counting those who die in fatalities. Our hospitals are overwhelmed by accident victims and the money spent on treating casualties and accident victims is a big loss to taxpayers,” ministry clinical and curative services director Dr Charles Olaro says.  

While speaking at the flagging off of an awareness campaign dubbed ‘Yambala for Me’ helmets, masks and condoms on Sunday, Olaro challenged the Government to live to realities of the causes of road crashes.

The ceremony was organised by the Dollar Initiative Uganda, the works and health ministries at UMA showground at Lugogo, Kampala

Dr Charles Olaro the Director of Clinical and Curative services at the Ministry of Health (Left) and the Minister of Works and Transport Gen Katumba Wamala at the function (Photo by Isaac Nuwagaba)

“To achieve universal health coverage in Uganda, we need a multi-sectoral approach which involves wearing helmets while cycling, putting on condoms during sexual intercourse and embracing masks to fight airborne diseases,” he said.

"Three years ago, we lost 3,600 people during COVID-19 and that is the number we lose to road accidents in just one year and those are not good statistics for our country to be happy about for our people to continue carelessly use public roads," he added.

Annual Crime Report 2022 states that the country registered 20,394 cases of road accidents in 2022 compared to 17,443 the previous year.

“Out of every 100 crashes, 22 people died while 61% of all accidents were as a result of reckless driving,” Police chief political commissar Hadijah Namutebi said.

A few weeks ago, health and works ministries, the Police and the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) directed for the immediate reintroduction of breathalysers to reduce road crashes which they said were being fuelled by those driving under the influence of alcohol.

Minister worried about water accidents

The Minister of Works and Transport, Gen Katumba Wamala, at the same event, re-echoed the need to reduce the rate of water accidents which are claiming many lives due to carelessness.

“We want fishermen to put on life jackets while conducting their business on lakes and rivers because the Government has been losing countless lives which is affecting the country’s economy,” he said.

“I call upon locals to be mindful of Christmas accidents and follow road safety measures put in place by the Government to curb the rising accidents.