CTSS-Andino is nearly finished with the city's first baseline study on road safety. Photo by Phillie Casablanca.

The Center for Sustainable Transport and Health in the Andean Region (CTSS-Andino) received an additional $20,000 from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to prepare and publish a final report on road safety in Arequipa.

PAHO has offered financial support to CTSS-Andino since 2009 to assist in a baseline study that includes three phases of measurement for 1) road safety, 2) personal exposure, and 3) physical activity.

CTSS-Andino has also recently carried out a comprehensive road safety audit for Arequipa, with support from EMBARQ and PAHO,

Results from the studies will be used to later determine the impact of Arequipa's new bus rapid transit (BRT) system.

EMBARQ plans to use the baseline study to formulate and design the methodologies for additional baseline studies and health and road safety audits that will be performed in cities across the EMBARQ Network.

"Such studies are crucial for having measurable and quantifiable success or impact, especially for projects like BRT," said Claudia Adriazola, EMBARQ's public health and transport affairs manager.

PAHO committed additional funding to the road safety phase of the baseline study on May 10, during a visit hosted by Sybil Settlemyre, CTSS-Andino's office and project administrator, for Mario Valcarcel, a representative for PAHO and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Peru. Dr. Enrique Jacoby, regional advisor of healthy eating and active living for PAHO and WHO, has played a key role in linking PAHO with EMBARQ and CTSS-Andino’s projects.