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Amend SARSAI - School Area Road Safety Assessments and Improvements (Africa)

Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa

Amend's SARSAI program, launched in 2012 in Tanzania and now spanning 9 African countries, is the first road traffic injury prevention program proven to reduce child pedestrian injuries in sub-Saharan Africa. A CDC-evaluated randomized control study (2015-2016) in Dar es Salaam with 13,000+ children found 26% reduction in overall injuries and 58% decrease in head injuries at participating schools. For every 286 children whose school receives SARSAI, one injury is prevented annually. The program combines infrastructure modifications (footpaths, zebra crossings, speed humps, bollards) with behavioral education and community outreach. Over 80 schools in Benin, Botswana, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia have benefited, leading to the launch of the scaled "Safe Schools Africa" program with World Bank integration.

Behavior Goal

Separate children from traffic; slow down vehicles where pedestrian interaction is unavoidable; educate children on safe pedestrian behaviors

Target Audiences

Caregivers/Parents

Methods & Approaches

Community Mobilization

Implementers & Partners

  • Amend
  • FIA Foundation

Donors & Sponsors

  • FIA Foundation
  • Puma Energy Foundation
  • US CDC

Key Takeaways

  • 1CDC evaluation proved 26% injury reduction - first evidence in sub-Saharan Africa
  • 2Infrastructure + education combination more effective than education alone
  • 3Number Needed to Treat: 286 children per injury prevented annually
  • 458% reduction in head injuries shows severity reduction
  • 5World Bank integration enables scaling through development bank road projects

Sources

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