Traffic accidents are the leading cause of infant mortality in the UAE and account for 63 per cent of all child deaths, according to Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
Most accidents claim the lives of children because they are not strapped in. To help address this disturbing statistics, DHA has initiated several social and health initiatves and recently entered into an agreement with an automobile company to enhance safety awareness among public.
It signed an agreement with General Motors to support Dubai's Child Injury Prevention Strategy. Chevrolet will work with DHA to train maternity nurses in child car safety at Al Wasl Hospital and donate 500 premium child car seats to parents of new born babies.
Child car seats are recognised as the most effective method of reducing infant mortality in the event of a traffic accident. Research shows that car seats can reduce infant fatal injuries by up to 71 per cent.
Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, Director-General, DHA, said: "These efforts are in line with the recommendations prescribed by the fourth Arab Children's Health Conference, which focused on the issues of 'Prevention of Child Injuries'. "The DHA directives aim at unifying the efforts of the different bodies involved in child safety and injury prevention."
Chevrolet will donate 500 Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix child seats designed for infants weighing up to 13kg.