Access to Healthcare

Transaid continues to implement projects that improve access to health services mainly in rural communities, helping to work towards the first three targets set out under the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3 by 2030:

To reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.
To end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years.
To end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO, 2020) underscore the urgency of this mission. In 2021, the WHO African region was home to 95% of malaria cases and 96% of deaths. Children under five accounted for 80% of all malaria deaths in the region. Around 75% of maternal deaths could be avoided through timely access to essential childbirth-related care (Source: The World Bank).

access to healthcare information graphic — Click here for a full-size infographic on our impact on access to healthcare from 2023-2024

What We Do

We support women, children, and men in rural communities to reach vital services when they are most needed.

We transform rural access to vital services – enabling women, children and men mainly in rural communities to reach health services when they are in need.

We strengthen transport systems and this can provide access to appropriate forms of transport.

Our work includes the use of Emergency Transport Systems to transport children with severe malaria and pregnant mothers with complications. We also help community health workers reach the families who need them.

Our Impact

Nigeria

Since our Emergency Transport Systems in Nigeria began in July 2009, more than 19,000 pregnant women in labour and maternal emergencies have been transported to a health facility, almost always at no cost to the mother. 741 drivers have been trained in how to correctly lift and transport pregnant women to the health facilities in Nigeria. The service offered by the drivers is free of charge, with 96 percent of ETS drivers – taxi drivers by trade – not asking for payment at the end of the journey.

19,000
Maternal Emergencies Transported

Zambia

Our MAMaZ Against Malaria programme (MAM@Scale) has seen a staggering 87% reduction in deaths in children with severe malaria in Serenje District, Zambia. The project is delivered by a consortium of partners who aim to increase access to life-saving medical treatment for communities in Zambia. This progress was noted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as seen in the video above.

The MAM@Scale programme is reaching a population of nearly one million people with its innovative, community-led approach to tackle severe malaria in rural Zambia.

87%
Reduction in Deaths

Zambia & Madagascar

Between April 2020 and March 2021, our Emergency Transport Systems had transported over 12,000 pregnant women and children to healthcare facilities in Zambia and Madagascar.

12,000
Pregnant Women and Children Transported

Uganda

Between September 2022 and March 2023, Transaid and partners continued work to provide rapid antigen test screening in Uganda for truck drivers and their assistants, conducting over 2,600 tests, and sensitising over 8,100 truck drivers and their assistants.

2,600
Rapid Antigen Tests

Programme Partners