When every minute counts, neighbors are stepping up. A WHO-backed pilot in Bangladesh trained 120 community volunteers to respond to road crashes, delivering first aid in just 5–8 minutes. Nearly 80% of patients reached a hospital within 30 minutes, and the government is now planning to expand the model nationwide.
When ambulances aren't available, shopkeepers, teachers, and drivers might be the next best thing. A WHO-supported pilot in Bangladesh trained 120 community volunteers living near a busy national highway to respond to road traffic crashes. Equipped with first aid skills, mass casualty triage training, and essential medical supplies, these volunteers were dispatched via an automated SMS system linked to a 24-hour emergency hotline — reaching crash victims in just 5 to 8 minutes.
The results were striking. Volunteers attended every reported incident, provided care to 625 victims, and coordinated with local fire services and highway police to get nearly 80% of patients to a hospital within 30 minutes of a crash — a window that can be the difference between life and death. The Government of Bangladesh is now planning to scale the model to other stretches of the national highway network.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Pre-hospital care gaps are a major driver of road traffic mortality in low- and middle-income countries. This model shows that community-owned, tech-assisted first responder systems can be rapidly deployed and scaled — offering a replicable blueprint for settings where ambulance infrastructure remains limited.
