Transaid’s first project in the West African region took place in Ghana. From 1992 to 1999, Transaid worked with the Ghanaian Ministry of Health on its Transport Policy, within the context of a major health sector reform. This project in Ghana led to the development of Transaid’s Transport Management System Manual, which is today one of the cornerstones of Transaid’s work.
In 2006, another innovative project in Ghana was implemented, the Transport and Trade for Market Women Project. Women traders have to rely on unsafe means of transportation, which also represent high costs to their small business; this project has created a solution for the transport problems faced by women traders, helping reduce their daily difficulties in getting goods into the market. Transaid has worked with a Market Traders Co-operative Union in Accra, providing them with a small fleet of light goods vehicles and with fleet management and driving skills.
In Nigeria, Transaid has undertaken significant work in the area of transport and health. We are currently working with the Project for Reviving Routine Immunization in Northern Nigeria – Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (PRRINN – MNCH) Consortium in Northern Nigeria, where immunization rates are amongst the lowest in the world and the Maternal Mortality Rate is amongst the highest in the world. This project aims to have by its end 60% of the infants under one year old fully immunized and 70% of women aged 15-49 given the appropriate Tetanus toxoid doses. Transaid’s role within the consortium is to support the implementation of an effective logistic system that will ease the sourcing and delivery of vaccines, as well as the transport of health workers and community members. In addition, Transaid has supported the implementation of an Emergency Transport Scheme for pregnant women in 3 of the 4 project states, to help reduce the delay in reaching health facilities during pregnancy complications.
Since January 2010, Transaid has also supported the implementation of a similar scheme to ease transportation of women in labour for pregnant women in Gombe State, North-eastern Nigeria, in the context of a large Maternal and Neonatal Health Project which aims to reduce the maternal mortality rate in the state.
Key Achievements
The work undertaken from 1992 to 1999 with the Ghanaian Ministry of Health led to the development of a national Transport Policy in Ghana, which was an innovative step in Sub-Saharan Africa at the time. The implementation of a Transport Management System wouldn’t have been possible without the development of transport management skills and therefore a large number of staff was trained, including drivers and health workers. The impact of this work was very significant: vehicle efficiency greatly increased, with 70% more kilometres travelled at less cost and using 13% less vehicles. As a result of the transport efficiency improvements, it has been estimated that an additional 90,000 children a year can now be vaccinated.
All regional projects for West Africa
Ghana
• Stagecoach Driver Trainer in Ghana, March 2009
• Female Market Trader Project, Accra, Ghana, March 2008
• Transport and Trade for Market Women, 2006 - present
• Protecting the Nations Future: Road Safety in Ghana and South Africa, 2005
• Ministry of Health Transport Policy, 1993-1999
Nigeria
• Programme for Reviving Routine Immunization in Four Northern States, 2007 – Present
• Emergency Transport Scheme for Pregnant Women, Gombe State, Jan. 2010 – Present
• Training of driver trainers and ambulance drivers, Katsina State, Jan. 2010
• Improving Availability of Medical Supplies in Rural Areas, Kano, Jul. 2010
• Training of Transport and Health Officers, Zamfara State, PRRINN Update, Aug. 2010
• Emergency Transport System for Pregnant Women, PRRINN-MNCH Update, Oct. 2009
• Training of Ambulance Driver Trainers, Yobe State, PRRINN-MNCH Update, Aug. 2009
• Increasing access to healthcare for mothers and children, PRRINN-MNCH Update, April 2009
• Developing a transport management system to aid vaccine distribution, Jigawa State, PRRINN update - May 2009
• The Partnership for Reviving Routine Immunisation in Northern Nigeria (PRRINN) – Project Update 2008
• Safe Motherhood Emergency Transport Scheme, Jigawa State, 2005-2006
Other countries
• Sierra Leone, Ministry of Health and Sanitation Transport Situation Analysis, 2006
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