The World Health Organisation (WHO) has hailed Ghana’s new road traffic law and safety standards on child restraints and motorcycle helmets as a critical intervention that will save lives and prevent serious injuries on the roads.

The law and standards, adopted by Parliament in December 2025 and enforced from early 2026, bring Ghana “largely in line with WHO road safety legal recommendations,” the Organisation said in its latest publication shared with the Ghana News Agency. 

The WHO noted that the reforms come at a time of growing concern over road traffic deaths in the country, which rose by 65 per cent between 2016 and 2021 to nearly 3,000 deaths annually.

With close to 26 road deaths per 100,000 population, Ghana’s fatality rate is significantly higher than the WHO African Regional average of 19 per 100,000 and the global average of 15 per 100,000.

“Ghana’s amendment to the national road traffic act and new safety standards marks a major step forward for road safety,” Dr Fiona Braka, the WHO Representative in Ghana said.  

“WHO is proud to have helped shape these changes that will save lives on the roads,” he added.

Dr Braka emphasized that effective road safety required more than legislation, pointing to the need for “good laws and policies, strong leadership, coordination and enforcement” to build transport systems that put people and safety first.

A key lifesaving provision of the new law is the comprehensive framework on child safety restraints. WHO said the law meets all its recommendations, including mandatory child car seats that are appropriate to the age, height, weight and physical vulnerabilities of infants and young children.

“Child safety restraints have been shown to reduce deaths in crashes by up to 71 per cent among younger infants,” the WHO said, adding that it has produced a manual for decision-makers to support the use of vehicle occupant restraints.

The WHO also highlighted the strengthened drink-driving provisions as another major public health gain. Drinking and driving, it said, significantly increases the risk of fatal road crashes.

Evidence shows that between 33 per cent and 69 per cent of drivers killed in road collisions in low- and middle-income countries had consumed alcohol.

Under the new law, Ghana has reduced the legal blood alcohol concentration limit for drivers from 0.08 to 0.05 grams per decilitre, a level that WHO said meets most of its legal recommendations.

Motorcycle safety was also identified as a major lifesaving focus of the reforms. Motorcycle riders account for about a third of all road deaths in Ghana, according to WHO.

Under the new standards, all riders are required to wear safe and high-quality helmets. WHO said such helmets reduce the risk of death by more than six times in the event of a crash.

The WHO noted that Ghana’s achievements form part of a broader global effort to reduce road traffic injuries and deaths.

Globally, nearly 1.2 million people die from road traffic crashes each year, WHO said, noting that road crashes remain the leading cause of death among children and young people aged five to 29. –GNA

Stanbic Bank Ghana has held a ‘Financial Wellness Workshop’ for journalists in the Ashanti Region, underscoring its commitment to strengthening financial literacy and long‑term independence within the media fraternity. 

The initiative, organised in partnership with the Science and Technology Communicators of Ghana (SaTCOG), brought together practitioners from print, radio, television, and online platforms.

SaTCOG, which champions science communication among journalists in Ghana and beyond, requested the training to help members build resilience in both their personal finances and professional practice. 

The sessions covered personal financial management, savings and investment planning, retirement preparation, debt and asset management, and the effective use of digital banking tools. 

Derick Romeo Adogla, Head of Communication and Reputation Management at Stanbic Bank, said the programme was designed to equip journalists with practical strategies for financial stability. 

“We brought some of our top financial experts to take participants through financial wellness, to ensure our colleagues in the media can better manage their finances,” he explained. 

He added that the workshop forms part of Stanbic Bank’s broader drive to promote financial literacy across sectors, with similar programmes already extended to small businesses, students, and professional groups. 

As a gesture of support, the bank donated five laptops to selected journalists, aimed at enhancing newsroom efficiency through research, story filing, and digital content creation. 

Facilitators, Nabil Abubakar Hussayn, Head of Employee Value Banking, and James Otchere led the sessions.

Mr Hussayn urged participants to align lifestyle choices with budgets and future goals. 

“Live a life you can afford and make lifestyle choices in line with your budget and aspirations,” he advised, stressing that a carefully planned budget and investment in good assets such as land are the first steps toward financial freedom. 

The leadership of SaTCOG commended Stanbic Bank for the initiative, describing it as timely and relevant to the personal and professional development of journalists.

By deepening its partnership with the media, Stanbic Bank hopes to foster capacity building and long‑term impact, ensuring that journalists were not only storytellers of Ghana’s development but also financially empowered professionals.

From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi