Transport and Public Health in China: The Road to a Healthy Future
2017
This article in The Lancet discusses how China’s expanding road networks and wider personal vehicle ownership are shaping public health in the country. Although public sector and technological innovation is advancing very rapidly in China, road traffic injuries and fatalities have also increased—accounting for 80 percent of accidental deaths in the country. Insufficient emergency rescue and trauma response systems have exacerbated this transportation-related mortality. Beyond preventable road traffic injuries and fatalities, the rapid movement in Chinese communities from cycling and walking to motor vehicles may have broader implications for chronic disease rates associated with physical inactivity. Furthermore, the greater number of motor vehicles on China’s roads has also contributed to the country’s persistent environmental pollution; poor air quality, in particular, has serious negative impacts on long-term human health.
Despite these challenges, China has the potential to respond proactively through policy and targeted initiatives, including developing safe infrastructure (e.g. road lighting and signage); improving regulation and enforcement of road safety laws and supplementing training for law enforcement; investing in active modes of transit (e.g. bicycle sharing, safe walking); and mandating safer standards for vehicle technology.
Transport and Public Health in China: The Road to a Healthy Future
Source:
Jiang B et al. Transport and Public Health in China: The Road to a Healthy Future. The Lancet 2017; 390(10104): 1781-1791. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31958-X.