WHO SHAKE Technical Package

WHO SHAKE Technical Package
Name	WHO SHAKE Technical Package
Caption	World Health Organization road safety initiative
Established	2017
Jurisdiction	World Health Organization

WHO SHAKE Technical Package The SHAKE technical package is a World Health Organization initiative to reduce road traffic injuries and fatalities through evidence‑based interventions. It synthesizes guidance linking international frameworks, urban planning, public health, transportation policy, and emergency care systems to accelerate national action on road safety. The package aligns with global targets under the United Nations and supports implementation alongside regional institutions and multilateral development banks.

Background and development

The initiative was developed within the World Health Organization following calls from the United Nations General Assembly and the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020 to translate global targets into operational guidance. Development drew on consultations with stakeholders including the World Bank, the World Health Assembly, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, the Pan American Health Organization, and the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa. Technical inputs came from collaborations with academic centers such as Johns Hopkins University, Imperial College London, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and the University of California, Berkeley, as well as professional bodies like the International Road Federation, Global Road Safety Partnership, and the International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences. Policy alignment referenced the Sustainable Development Goals, the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, and guidance from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Pilot feedback was collected from national agencies including the Ministry of Health (Brazil), the Ministry of Transport (India), and municipal authorities such as Bogotá City Hall and New York City Department of Transportation.

Components and strategies

SHAKE groups interventions into measurable categories to influence road user behavior, infrastructure, vehicle standards, and post‑crash response, integrating evidence from studies by institutions like Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and University of Sydney. Components reference legislative examples from the European Union, the Federal Highway Administration, and laws such as the Motor Vehicles Act (India) and policies from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Strategies include speed management informed by studies from Transport for London and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, helmet and seatbelt promotion drawing on programs evaluated by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Médecins Sans Frontières, vehicle safety standards aligned with the UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations and the Global New Car Assessment Programme, and emergency medical services strengthening with models from the Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The package cross‑links urban design principles advocated by UN‑Habitat and road safety audits used by the Asian Development Bank.

Implementation and country adoption

National adoption pathways have involved ministries and agencies including the Ministry of Health (South Africa), the Ministry of Transport (Kenya), and city governments like Mexico City and Copenhagen. Funding and technical assistance have been provided by partners such as the World Bank Group, the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and philanthropic foundations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Capacity building drew on training curricula from World Health Organization Collaborating Centres and professional associations including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the International Transport Forum. Implementation often aligned with national road safety strategies referenced in documents submitted to the UN Road Safety Collaboration and reporting to the UN Economic and Social Council.

Evidence of effectiveness and impact

Evaluations cite reductions in crash rates where SHAKE components were adopted, with evidence reported in journals from publishers like Elsevier, Wiley, and Springer Nature and documented by agencies such as the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Case studies include speed management successes in Sweden and Netherlands, helmet promotion impact in Vietnam and Thailand, and integrated post‑crash care improvements in Rwanda and Israel. Systematic reviews from institutions like Cochrane and modelling work from Imperial College London and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation have been used to estimate lives saved and disability‑adjusted life years averted in line with Sustainable Development Goal 3 reporting.

Challenges and limitations

Barriers include resource constraints faced by low‑ and middle‑income countries such as Nigeria and Bangladesh, political and regulatory hurdles observed in jurisdictions like United States states and some European Union members, and data limitations identified by the Global Burden of Disease Study and national statistics offices. Intersectoral coordination challenges involve agencies such as the Ministry of Finance (Pakistan), transport regulators like the Federal Motor Transport Authority (Germany), and urban planning bodies exemplified by the Mayor of Jakarta’s office. Limitations also stem from vehicle industry dynamics involving corporations, international standards bodies like the International Organization for Standardization, and legal frameworks such as those applied by the European Court of Human Rights.

Policy and funding implications

Scaling SHAKE‑aligned measures requires engagement with funders and policymakers including the World Bank Group, Asian Development Bank, European Investment Bank, national treasuries such as the Treasury of the United Kingdom, and philanthropic entities like the Wellcome Trust. Policy instruments include legislation modeled after frameworks from the European Commission, budgetary allocations debated in parliaments such as the Parliament of India and policy directives from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Financing mechanisms span public investment, multilateral loans, and innovative instruments promoted by the Global Infrastructure Facility and the Green Climate Fund. Successful scaling has implications for reporting to forums like the High‑level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and targets endorsed at the UN General Assembly.

Category:Road safety