WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the UN Road Safety Fund Pledging Conference – 20 July 2026

Special Envoy Jean Todt,

Excellencies, Ministers, Ambassadors, heads of delegation, dear colleagues and friends,

Thank you first to my brother Jean for his leadership, and to our colleagues at the UN Road Safety Fund for their partnership.

Every year, more than one million people lose their lives on the world's roads, and up to 50 million more are injured.

Behind each of those numbers is a name, a family, a future that was cut short or forever changed.

Road traffic injuries remain the leading killer of children and young people aged 5 to 29 - a generation of teachers, workers, parents and leaders lost before their time.

And the burden falls hardest on those who can least afford it: more than 90 per cent of road deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, even though those countries have less than 60 per cent of the world's vehicles.

This is not simply a health issue, as has been said by many speakers before. It is an issue of equity, of development, and of justice.

The good news: road deaths are falling. The bad news: at this pace, we will fall far short of our target - and every day of delay costs lives.

Our goal is a 50 per cent drop in deaths by 2030, but we still have a long way to go.

At this mid-point in the Decade of Action for Road Safety, we must double down on delivery.

The Global Plan for the Decade of Action, and the political declaration that countries will adopt today, chart the way forward.

But those commitments will only be realized with adequate financing.

We need strategic and sustainable investments in safe transport - investments that strengthen coordination across government and society.

The UN Road Safety Fund has a crucial role in driving results in low- and middle-income countries.

It does this by catalyzing investments in infrastructure;

By strengthening road safety legislation;

By making helmets and vehicle safety equipment accessible and affordable;

And by improving post-crash care.

This means mistakes people make on the road are less likely to cost them their lives.

It means more people choosing the healthier options of walking, cycling or public transport.

This is the way to reduce road deaths, and to support health, opportunity and sustainability across society.

WHO is proud to stand alongside the Fund as a technical partner - providing the evidence, the guidance and the country support that turn good policy into safer roads.

But evidence and guidance are not enough without resources behind them.

So today, I have three asks.

First, to donor countries and partners: pledge generously, and pledge predictably, so the Fund can plan for the long term, not just the next project cycle.

Second, to governments: match international support with domestic investment and political will - in legislation, enforcement, and infrastructure that protects pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists alike.

Third, to all of us: treat road safety as the health priority it is, with the same urgency we bring to other leading causes of death and disability.

Investing in road safety is investing in health systems, in economies, and in the simple right of every person to get home safely.

It is one of the most cost-effective investments any country can make, saving lives, reducing the burden on hospitals, and keeping families out of poverty.

My thanks again to the UN Road Safety Fund for its valuable work.

I ask all of you to support it.

I thank you.