HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam – October 8, 2021

Road safety NGO shares first update on the AI&Me program demonstrating that the app is on track to help young people report unsafe road conditions to their government and effectively prevent road crashes, a leading cause of death for young people globally and in Vietnam.

Following the successful launch of our newest big data program, AIP Foundation hosted a stakeholder meeting to provide the latest updates of AI&Me in Vietnam, a program which empowers young people to identify and report unsafe road conditions to the government for road modifications. The meeting welcomed Government representatives and provided insight into the program’s progress.

The progress highlights of the program include three signed Memorandum’s of understanding with local government in 3 provinces and in-depths interviews that have been conducted to identify the needs of youth. These results were shared with our partner, iRAP who is currently developing a youth engagement app (YEA) based on the needs assessment. We were also pleased to share that the big data analysis report with the methodology for assessing high risk schools has been completed. Based on the findings, iRAP and Anditi are now working on screening 1,200 schools in the three cities to select 106 high-risk schools.

Within the next year, upcoming program highlights include carrying out master training on the operation and results of the Big Data Screening for the local implementing partners. The YEA is expected to be ready for use by May 2022 and discussions will take place with governments for the selection of 18 schools to pilot the YEA. The YEA will provide greater awareness of road risks and an easy, exciting,

Road crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years globally. In Vietnam, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimated that more than 6,200 children and youth aged 5-29 were killed in road crashes in 2019. This represents a public health crisis that disproportionately affects young people most

AIP Foundation’s three-year AI&Me program, is supported by Fondation Botnar – a foundation which champions the use of AI and digital technologies to improve the wellbeing of young people in urban environments – as well as the FIA Foundation, Anditi, and iRAP. Together we are developing a ‘youth engagement app’, to offer young people an efficient way to identify and report high-risk road conditions, providing them with a platform for their voices to be heard. Through the app, government officials will receive data as actionable recommendations to make effective and evidence-based road safety interventions.

“At Fondation Botnar, we believe that AI and digital technologies provide solutions that can both address the needs of an entire generation while futureproofing our health systems. The AI&Me program will help demonstrate the many potential benefits and uses that AI has in public health, through the engagement of the youth population. By launching this program in Vietnam, we hope it will become a wider catalyst for change, across other regions and countries and will reach as many young people as possible. The AI&Me program will unveil the many potentials that AI has in public health,” said Siddharta Jha, AI/Digital program manager of Swiss-based Fondation Botnar.

“Traffic injury remains the leading cause of injury and death for youth from the ages of 5 to 29. Giving young people the platform to share their experiences as road users, make demands for change, and have the confidence to know their demands will be both heard and acted upon are essential for meaningful engagement. It is great that AIP Foundation are involving youth in the delivery of their programme to ensure that they are represented every step of the way,” added Saul Billingsley, Executive Director of the FIA Foundation.

The AI&Me program was launched and will be tested in Ho Chi Minh City, Gia Lai Province, and Yen Bai Province with the possibility of scaling up to other regions and countries following successful initial trials. Representatives from the Traffic Safety Committee, Department of Transportation, Department of Education and Training from Ho Chi Minh City, Yen Bai Province, and Gia Lai Province attended the stakeholder meeting.

“The fact that this program is implemented for road safety suits perfectly with our time. Using advanced technology in road safety to improve community members’, especially youth’s experience when travelling on road aligns very well with the growth of society. This also contributes to the province’s “Building smart urban in Yen Bai province during the 2019-2021 period, with vision to 2025” plan, which prioritize the community’s well-being using intelligent technology. Moreover, the AI&Me program will create such push to young people to become more active in civic participation” expressed Mrs. Bui Thi Hieu, Vice Chief Secretariat of Traffic Safety Committee of Yen Bai province.