Road crashes account for 60 percent of MOI patients, new study reveals

Arusha. Road traffic accidents continue to account for the majority of patients treated at the Muhimbili Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical Institute (MOI), with between 60 and 62 percent of admissions linked to crashes, the hospital has said.

Speaking on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, during specialised training on road infrastructure safety for engineers from the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads), the Rural and Urban Roads Agency (Tarura), private practitioners and other stakeholders in Arusha, MOI Head of Research Unit, Dr Joel Bwemelo, said the trend remained a major public health concern.

He said the institute’s emergency unit receives about 8,000 patients, of whom nearly two-thirds are victims of road crashes.

“For a long time, we have seen a continuous increase in accidents. In our emergency department, about 60 to 62 percent of patients are road traffic injury cases,” he said.

Dr Bwemelo noted that motorcycle accidents, commonly involving bodaboda operators, have become a leading contributor, accounting for about 41 percent of trauma cases.

“These patients often arrive with severe injuries to the head, neck, spine and long bones. Many suffer life-threatening conditions, and some are left with permanent disabilities,” he said.

He added that due to the growing burden, medical experts had begun shifting focus from operating rooms to community outreach and prevention campaigns aimed at reducing accidents.

“We continue to urge the public to observe road safety rules, including avoiding drunk driving, speeding, fatigue, and overloading passengers. Motorcycle crashes remain high because many people rely on them as affordable transport and to avoid traffic congestion,” he said.

Earlier, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Prof Riziki Shemdoe, said reducing road accidents must begin at the planning and design stage of infrastructure.

He said road agencies and engineers must prioritise safety considerations from the outset of road construction projects.

“Safe roads begin at the design stage. If we fail to integrate safety in planning and construction, we will not succeed in reducing accidents,” he said.

Prof Shemdoe said the government had increased the budget for Tarura from Sh900 billion in 2025 to Sh1.2 trillion this year to strengthen road infrastructure development.

“Those entrusted with these resources must ensure roads are built in a way that reduces hospital admissions. Road safety signs and other safety features must be properly installed and maintained,” he said.

He emphasised that investment in infrastructure must directly contribute to reducing injuries and fatalities on the roads.

The training was organised by the Tanzania Safety Road Initiative (TASRI), whose Executive Director, Mr Maliki Barongo, said the programme aimed to ensure that road safety is embedded at the design stage of infrastructure projects.

He said the organisation’s goal is to support a Tanzania free from road crash injuries and deaths through continuous education of engineers, drivers, constructors, and other road users.

“Since 2022, we have trained more than 800 engineers across the country,” he said.

Mr Barongo added that the training brings together stakeholders from Tanroads, Tarura, and the private sector to improve planning and implementation of safer road systems.

Road safety trainer, Mr Ronald Lwakatare, said accidents were driven by a combination of human error, poor infrastructure, and vehicle defects, but stressed that engineering design and maintenance remained critical in prevention.

“The key message to engineers is that road safety must start at the planning and design stage, not after construction when problems have already occurred,” he said.

Authorities and experts continue to warn that unless preventive measures are strengthened at design and enforcement levels, road traffic injuries will remain a major burden on the country’s health system.