A WHO-trained journalist has won first prize in the road safety category of the Ghana Journalism Association's national journalism awards for 2023.
Jonathan Donkor's investigation into the impact of used tyres on road crashes for the Ghanaian Times highlights key gaps in data, regulation and enforcement around used and imported tyres.
Burst tyres have contributed to a series of deadly road crashes in Ghana in recent years, including a fatal bus crash involving the country's presidential press corps in 2015.
The report, titled Tired tyres and the tragedies tied to them, includes interviews with Ghana's National Road Safety Authority, National Police, National Ports and Harbours Authority, National Standards Authority and National Tyre Dealers Association, and extensive research.
"There is no laboratory in Ghana that checks the quality of imported tyres and no data on burst tyre crashes," the report states. "Regulators must enforce the law through collaborative efforts."
Africa is one of the fastest growing markets for used vehicles, and the latest WHO Road Safety Status Report for Africa notes that road deaths are rising faster in Africa than any other region.
Winners were selected from over 300 entries and were announced at a ceremony held in Accra on September 28, at which the President of the Republic of Ghana gave a keynote speech.
Jonathan Donkor's investigation is the second by a WHO-trained journalist to win a national media award for 2023, following an interactive set of features on disability inclusive transport in Viet Nam.
"Journalists have a crucial role to play in calling for policies and actions that save lives and advance safe and sustainable mobility for everyone," says Dr Nhan Tran, Head of Safety and Mobility at WHO.
"This is the second national media award won by a participant in our latest global cohort. It shines a light on an under-reported public health issue, and it is underpinned by diligent, determined research," adds Dr Tran.
The Road Safety Reporting initiative offers tools and training to help journalists dig deeper into the causes of road crashes, which are the leading global cause of death among children and youth aged 5-29.
The initiative is part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety and is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies. WHO partnered with Science Africa, a Kenya-based media organization, for the training and mentoring provided to the award-winning journalist.
"I'm grateful to WHO and Science Africa for the insightful training and mentorship that helped me work on this critical but under-reported road safety issue in Ghana," said Jonathan Donkor.
