On the margins of the 79th World Health Assembly, the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations in Geneva hosted the event “Helmets as a Vaccine”, an interactive dialogue bringing together representatives of international organizations, civil society and the private sector.
Included in the programme of the “2026 Sustainable Development Festival”, the initiative highlighted the link between public health, road safety and sustainable development, in line with the 2030 Agenda and, in particular, with Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-being and Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities.
The event featured the participation of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, and the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Ghebreyesus.
Opening the discussion, the Permanent Representative of Italy, Ambassador Luigi Vignali, underlined that the use of safe helmets represents a true “public health intervention, as it reduces mortality and the severity of injuries, protects families and communities — especially in developing countries — and contributes to strengthening the resilience of health systems.”
The objective of the initiative is to build growing international mobilization around the concept of “Helmets as a Vaccine”, with a view to promoting the availability of safe helmets at affordable prices and encouraging their wider and more informed use. Particular attention was devoted to countries where motorized two-wheelers are an essential form of mobility and a significant source of road traffic injuries.
