DOH launches campaign for road safety
Department of Health
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has conducted a campaign that aims to provide drivers mental health services and road safety education to lessen accidents on the road in the country.
With its theme “Basta Driver, Road Safety Lover,” the DOH kicked off the Road Safety Summit on Saturday in Pasay City, where the agency provided free seminar, checkups, mental health support, and safety simulations for drivers.
The health agency emphasized in a statement on Saturday the impact of mental wellness on road safety.
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According to Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, they would continue to uphold proper education for drivers, as the agency monitors the continuing increase in road accidents in the country.
“Road safety begins with proper education and proper condition of the driver, vehicle, and even the road. Road safety is a shared responsibility of everybody,” Herbosa said in Filipino.
Road crash incidents in PH
The DOH mentioned that an estimated 12,000 Filipinos die in road crashes annually. It also cited the Philippine Statistics Authority’s record, where 11,096 road crash deaths were recorded in 2021—39 percent higher than the 7,938 logged cases in 2011.
Meanwhile, the DOH recorded more than 37,000 injuries in the Online National Electronic Injury Surveillance System in 2024.
“Currently, incidents such as road traffic collisions are among the top ten causes of death for Filipinos aged 5 to 29. Most often, the victims are driving motorcycles, pedestrians, children, elderly, and persons with disabilities,” the agency noted.
With this, the DOH reiterated the importance of intensifying the proper education and preparedness of the public to avoid road crash incidents.
“Here, the importance of prevention of disasters is given as a major part of health care,” the DOH said.
