Integrated Community Development Movement Nepal

Lessons Learned and Strategic Framework

Development Workshop

Road Traffic Accident: A Neglected Public Health Crisis

July, 2014

Integrated Community Development Movement

(ICODEMON)

Mahadevsthan-3, Thankot

Kathmandu, Nepal

Integrated Community Development Movement Nepal

Summary

The Integrated Community Development Movement Nepal (ICODEMON) a nonprofit making national organization established in 2002 with the aim of improving lives of most vulnerable communities through implementing sustainable development initiatives. It has been working in the field of education,health, livelihood promotion and research.Prevention of Road Traffic Accidents is one of the major programmes of ICODEMON. As a part of this programme, ICODEMON has been implementing an 18 month project on, 'Road Traffic Accident: A Neglected Public Health Crisis' alongside the highway from Thankot to Chitwan targeting transport workers, community members and policy makers with the objectivesto promote road safety, minimize accident and also to reduce thedeath and disabilities after accident by managing the post-crash response team.

The road traffic accident (RTA) is a serious public health problem which takes around 1.3 million lives each year injuringalmost 50 million people worldwide and the leading cause of disabilities. It is also the leading cause for the death of young people between 15-29 years. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts RTA to be the fifth leading cause of mortality by 2030, if the same trend on mortality continues.Only 28 countries, representing 449 million people (7% of the world’s population), have adequate laws that address all five risk factors (speed, drink– driving, helmets, seat-belts and child restraints). Nepal’s fatality rate in fiscal year 2009/10 was 17 per 10,000 registered vehicles, which is one of the highest rates in both Asia and the world.

The workshop on “Lessons Learned and Strategic Plan Development”was carried out from 13th-14th May, 2014 in Pataleban Vineyard Resort Chisapani-5, Baadbhanjyang Kathmandu. The main rationale behind organizing this workshop was to critically analyze achievements made and constraints faced by the organization during the project implementation and identify and discuss the ways for overcoming those constraints. The workshop was carried out with the following objectives:

To share the organizational activities that were being carried out in the past

  • To share progress, lessons learned and good practices while implementing the RTA and come up with ways forward
  • To review existing strategy and prepare 5 year strategic framework of the ICODEMON

The workshop was divided into two sessions. The first session included sharing and discussion on the issues like the current activities of the organization, sharing of work performed by the secretarial group, challenges faced during implementation of activities and methods used to overcome them. Similarly, the second session was fully based on the planning process like documentation of lessons learned and good practices and reviewing the existing strategy and develop strategic framework incorporating feedback, with the help of a facilitator.

Progress being made during this period:

National and local level orientation on RTA

Baseline survey

Distribution of IEC materials to the students, community people, participants of training.

Street drama on prevention of Road Traffic Accidents and immediate measures to be taken after road crash

Orientation program covering all schools and communities situated in the highway from Thankot to Chitwan.

Television Broadcasting and FM Radio programs for dissemination of information

Participation for emergency First Aid Training should have from specific groups like security personal, owner, driver and staff of public transport, representative of local club, community leader, staff of government, teacher, student and mother group etc.

Behavior Change Communication programs through different activities like orientation programs, street drama, radio jingles, distribution of IEC materials should be conducted to create awareness and bring change in the knowledge, attitude and practice of general public.

Good Practices:

  • Road Traffic Accidents have multiple determinants, affects many people and sectors, and requires action by different sectors. Many sectors are involved in road safety and it is important for them to build partnership to try and influence the likely success of road safety initiatives that are undertaken at national, regional and international levels. Likewise, ICODEMON has been conducting First Aid Training programmes in partnership with Nepal Red Cross Society which would support in the efficient use of resources and sustainable development of activities.
  • Public health sector campaigns in the field of road traffic injury prevention have encompassed a wide range of measures, but education has always featured as one of the key activities of prevention. Informing and educating road users can improve knowledge about the traffic rules and promote safe driving practices as well as purchasing safer vehicles and equipment. Education can help to bring about a culture of road safety and develop sympathetic attitudes towards effective interventions. In response to this intervention, ICODEMON has been carrying out various activities to educate general public about road safety. Some of the activities are mentioned below:
  • Rational decision-making in public policy, including road safety issues, should be based on evidence. Road traffic injury prevention is a concern of many individuals, groups and organizations, all of whom require data and evidence. So, research is needed to provide quality data on road traffic accidents and its prevention while maintaining the validity and reliability of the data. In this aspect, ICODEMON recently carried out a Baseline Survey on Road Traffic Accidents: A Neglected Public Health Crisis

Lessons learned:

  • Building collaboration withconcerned institutions working in the field of Road Traffic Accidents would help in the efficient use of resources, avoid duplication and ensure sustainability of programs. Besides, collaboration with the hospitals would be very effective to carry out the programs as the hospital is the first point for injured to receive emergency health services after providing basic first aid services.
  • Research on Road Traffic Accidents should be carried out in regular manner to support in evidence-based policy making.

Constraints/Challenges:

  • ICODEMON is in its initial stage of program implementation and it doesn’t have own national level network. Concerned stakeholders including community people are unaware of its activities so, sometimes community participation which is very crucial for successful program implementation becomes difficult.
  • Partnership among the government sectors (health, education, transport and police), private sectors, civil society and community helps to attract human and financial assistance and its effective use. But the organization itself being in the initial stage of carrying out activities on Road Traffic Accidents, mobilizing resources both human and financial has been challenging.
  • ICODEMON being a beginner NGO trying to serve general public in the prevention of Road Traffic Accidents has its own resource limitations but sometimes demand for Physical and financial support from the community and more incentives from the participants create constraints

Recommendations:

  • Organizing programmes based on feasibility of community people so that they can take active participation in different activities of the programmes
  • Effective Monitoring and Evaluation system should be established for ensuring accountability.
  • Developing Public-Private partnerships between concerned stakeholders would be beneficial for carrying out activities smoothly, avoiding duplication and ensuring efficient use of resources.
  • Besides the workshop also recommended on extending the project in other accident prone areas of country considering the fact that reducing mortality and morbidity associated with Road Traffic Accident requires wider coverage.
  • The need of exposure visit to other parts of country would also be instrumental to get better understanding on implementation modality and also learn from each others

Participants:

Executive Committee Members

  • Mr. Pitambar Aryal, Chairperson, ICODEMON
  • Prof. Dr. Krishna Bahadur Thapa, Member, CA
  • Dr. Chandra Pokhrel, Secretary, ICODEMON
  • Ms. Bhima Bhandari, Treasurer, ICODEMON
  • Mr. Bhesh Bahadur Parajuli, Joint Secretary, ICODEMON
  • Dr. Rohit Pokharel, Member, ICODEMON
  • Dr. Kiran Rupakhetee, Member, ICODEMON
  • Mr. Bhesh Bahadur Karki, Member, ICODEMON
  • Ms. Sushma Aryal, Member, ICODEMON

Secretarial group

  • Samir Neupane, Research Officer, ICODEMON
  • Ramesh Basnet
  • Safal Khatiwoda, Admin/Finance Officer, ICODEMON
  • Nilam Bhandari, Research Assistant, ICODEMON
  • Jokha Raj Ghimire, Social Mobilizer, ICODEMON

Representatives from field

  • Mr. Hari Neupane, President-Nepal Red Cross Society, Chitwan
  • Mr. Babu Ram Neupane, Participant-Chitwan Microbus YatayatBewasayiSangh, Chitwan
  • Ms. Kalpana Bhandari, Health Assistant-Gajuri PHC, Dhading
  • Ms. SaritaKaraakhetee, PanchakanyaSachetanaAama Samuha, Dhading

Facilitators

  • Mr. Kamal Niraula, Consultant, Freelancer
  • Mr. Prabesh Neupane, Consultant, Freelancer