With 27 million vehicles on the road in sub-Saharan Africa, two- and three-wheeled vehicles are playing an increasingly significant role in transport. However, this growth comes at a heavy human cost. Given that 90 per cent of accidents are thought to be caused by human error, training motorcyclists in first aid appears to be a new way of preventing accidents and reducing their consequences.
Having become indispensable to daily travel in sub-Saharan Africa, two- and three-wheelers now number 27 million vehicles, according to the World Bank. However, this growth comes with a high level of risk on the roads. In several countries across the region, motorcyclists are involved in or responsible for 50 to 70% of road deaths, according to the WHO. Across the continent, users of these vehicles account for around 23% of road traffic deaths, according to the WHO’s Global Status Report on Road Safety.
First aid is not merely a set of techniques and emergency procedures applied to a person in danger or the victim of an accident; above all, it is an act of citizenship, solidarity and humanity.
Innocent Mallanda, President of the Congolese Red Cross – DR Congo
Behind these statistics, one factor regularly emerges: road users’ behaviour. According to the Afro-Safe Academy report by Lund University in Tanzania, 90% of accidents are believed to be linked to human factors, while helmet use remains below 20%. Against this backdrop, first-aid training was launched on 4 September 2026 in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, to teach motorcyclists how to respond when an accident occurs. The initiative forms part of the plan to regulate and professionalise the motorcycle taxi sector launched by the Directorate-General for Land Transport. It aims to teach riders basic first-aid skills so that they can adopt life-saving reflexes immediately at the scene, as they are often among the first witnesses when accidents occur.
I urge motorcyclists to make the most of all the benefits this training has to offer. Diligence, responsiveness and commitment to learning will be the keys to our success.
Innocent Mallanda, President of the Congolese Red Cross – DR Congo
The objective now is to instill a culture of first aid among people who are present on the roads every day. This approach responds to a continent-wide concern, as Africa remains the region of the world with the highest road traffic death rate, at 19.4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the WHO. Training motorcyclists in first aid therefore means acting both on prevention and during the critical minutes immediately following an accident, while awaiting the arrival of the appropriate emergency services. The challenge now is to make this skill a lasting road safety reflex.
