Access to health
Transaid is increasing access to health and healthcare delivery through working with Ministry’s of Health in Africa to develop appropriate transport management systems.
Transport often represents a significant proportion of a country’s health budget and can be as much as 20%. This is particularly true in developing countries with large, poor, rural populations who have little or no access to public or private sector transport and must rely on outreach services to come to them.
Despite this need, resources required to manage and maintain transport effectively are often underestimated and overlooked. Large amounts of capital are spent by governments and international donors on vehicles but contrary to expectations, more vehicles do not automatically provide better services and can become obsolete very quickly through poor maintenance and inefficient usage.
By focusing on transport management, Transaid can dramatically increase the efficiency of Ministry of Health transport operations to provide a much greater long-term impact than simply spending more money on vehicles. For the communities our partners serve, this significantly increases the availability of healthcare services and the benefits it brings, which, in rural Africa are often lifesaving.
Following the implementation of Transaid’s transport management system with the Ministry of Health in Ghana a $2 million grant was secured from the World Bank. It was estimated that up to 90,000 additional children could be vaccinated as a result.
Current and past health related projects:
Afghanistan
• Afghanistan, Access to Maternal Health Services, Charharkint District, Jun. 2010
Ghana
• Ghana, Ministry of Health Transport Policy, 1993-1999
Kenya
• Kenya, A District Based Transport System for Health, Coast Province, 2005-2007
Madagascar
• Madagascar, Improving Access to Maternal Health, Update - Jan. 2012
• Madagascar, Improving Access to Maternal Health In Remote Areas, Aug. 2011
Malawi
• Malawi, Supporting the Landirani Trust to Provide Access to Health for Orphans, Aug. 2010
• Malawi and Zambia, Bicyle Ambulances, 2003 -2005
Mozambique
• Mozambique, Fleet Maintenance Review, Department of Health, Tete Province, May 2009
• Mozambique, Fleet Assessment and Transport Analysis, Department of Health, Tete Province - September 2007
Nigeria
• Nigeria, Emergency Transport Scheme for Pregnant Women, Gombe, Jan.2010 - Present
• Nigeria, Improving Availability of Medical Supplies in Rural Areas, Kano, Jul. 2010
• Nigeria, Training of Driver Trainers and Ambulance Drivers, Katsina, PRRINN Update, Jan. 2010
• Nigeria, Emergency Transport System for Pregnant Women, PRRINN-MNCH Update, Oct. 2009
• Nigeria, Training of Ambulance Driver Trainers, Yobe State, PRRINN-MNCH Update, Aug. 2009
• Nigeria, Training of Transport and Health Officers, Zamfara State, PRRINN Update - Aug. 2011
• Nigeria, Increasing Access to Healthcare for Mothers and Children, PRRINN-MNCH Update, Apr.2009
• Nigeria, The Programme for Reviving Routine Immunization in Northern Nigeria (PRRINN) Update, 2008
• Nigeria, Programme for Reviving Routine Immunization in Four Northern States, 2007 – 2011
• Nigeria, Safe Motherhood Emergency Transport Scheme, Jigawa State, 2005-2006
Sierra Leone
• Sierra Leone, Ministry of Health and Sanitation Transport Situation Analysis, 2006
South Africa
• South Africa, Department of Health Transport Management, 1998-2005
Uganda
• Improving distribution of medical supplies, May 2011
• Uganda, Operational Assessment – Transport and Distribution at Uganda’s National Medical Stores, June 2008
• Uganda, Transaid partners with St John Uganda, June 2008
Zimbabwe
• Zimbabwe, Review of Transport Operation to Improve Distribution of Medical Supplies, Apr. 2010
United Kingdom
• UK, Transaid supports RedR Training, September 2009
Zambia
• Zambia, Access to Maternal Health, Oct. 2010 - Present
• Zambia, Bicycle Ambulance Project, Sept. 2008 – Mar. 2009
• Zambia, Transaid Trains St John Ambulance Drivers, Nov. 2007
• Zambia, Fleet Assessment & Transport Situation Analysis for the Ministry of Health, September 2007
*De Silva, R., Transport - The Missing Link?: A catalyst for achieving the MDG, Presentation for the International Federation of Rural Transport Development
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