2020 marked the start of the Decade of Action on Sustainable Development, which aims to accelerate progress towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. However, this year also saw the emergence of a new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, which has had devastating effects on health systems globally and has the potential to put a halt to much of the progress made against specific Goals. This global pandemic also poses a serious threat to the broader social, economic, and political security of entire populations worldwide, disproportionately impacting communities in low-income countries and resource-constrained settings.
In the wake of the pandemic, the MAM@Scale programme had to quickly and effectively adapt in order to tackle the spread of COVID-19 while continuing the fight against severe malaria as well as other lifesaving work to enhance maternal health outcomes. Thanks to funding from the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society, together with Grand Challenges Canada and MMV, we were able to integrate COVID-19 prevention into our work and support the government of Zambia’s COVID-19 response.
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In June 2020, Transaid launched a COVID-19 response programme to support heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers in Uganda, supported by the Employment and Skills for Development in Africa (E4D) Programme. Working with local partners, Transaid is helping to roll out driver-specific safety advice and provide handwashing facilities, cab sanitisation materials, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep drivers safe, reduce transmission rates and build community confidence in the safety of the logistics sector.
This case study tells the story of Emmanuel Zambo, a Congolese driver who has been driving long distance for over seven years. COVID-19 has brought many challenges to his job, as he explains.
Click below to read Emmanuel’s testimonial of how this project is positively impacting his ability to carry out his job.
Since we introduced this project to you on 3rd June, we have been working at border crossings and rest stops to sensitise truck drivers and ensure they are equipped to deal with the challenges of COVID-19. This webinar, first broadcast on Tuesday 6th October 2020, shares what we have found from speaking to truck drivers from all over East Africa.
Featuring updates from Transaid’s Project Manager, Jason Finch; Safe Way Right Way’s Programmes Coordinator, Susan Tumuhairwe; and from our project partners the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union and the Uganda Professional Drivers Network.
Watch the webinar here.
Click below to download the webinar slides.
Le programme MAHEFA Miaraka (juin 2016- juin 2021) vise à renforcer les capacités du secteur public à planifier, fournir et gérer les services de santé communautaire, tout en redynamisant l’engagement communautaire et l’appropriation de la santé.
Dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre du Plan de Développement du Secteur de la Santé à Madagascar (PDSS 2015-19), le programme Mahefa Miaraka soutient les moyens de transport d’urgence existants dans ses zones d’intervention, afin d’améliorer l’accessibilité de la communauté aux soins de santé en cas d’urgence sanitaire ou orientation des patients. L’objectif est de donner aux communautés les moyens d’améliorer et d’utiliser efficacement leurs propres plans d’évacuation médicale vers les centres de santé de base (CSB), les hôpitaux de district et les hôpitaux régionaux de référence.
Ce guide servira d’outil aux formateurs. Il découle de la politique nationale de santé communautaire et a été conçu à partir de l’expérience antérieure du programme et de ses partenaires.
Pour consulter le manuel en francais ou en malgache, cliquez sur le lien ci-dessous.
Le programme MAHEFA Miaraka (juin 2016- juin 2021) vise à renforcer les capacités du secteur public à planifier, fournir et gérer les services de santé communautaire, tout en redynamisant l’engagement communautaire et l’appropriation de la santé.
Dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre du Plan de Développement du Secteur de la Santé à Madagascar (PDSS 2015-19), le programme Mahefa Miaraka soutient les moyens de transport d’urgence existants dans ses zones d’intervention, afin d’améliorer l’accessibilité de la communauté aux soins de santé en cas d’urgence sanitaire ou orientation des patients. L’objectif est de donner aux communautés les moyens d’améliorer et d’utiliser efficacement leurs propres plans d’évacuation médicale vers les centres de santé de base (CSB), les hôpitaux de district et les hôpitaux régionaux de référence.
Ce guide servira d’outil aux chauffeurs et chauffeurs assistants sur les précautions à prendre lors d’une évacuation sanitaire communautaire de patients vers le CSB, les hôpitaux de district et les hôpitaux régionaux de référence. Il découle de la politique nationale de santé communautaire et a été conçu à partir de l’expérience antérieure du programme et de ses partenaires.
Le Guide clarifie les engagements des chauffeurs et leurs rôles pendant et après le transport d’urgence des patients. Ce guide fournit également des détails sur les mesures à prendre pour leur propre protection et pour la protection du patient transporté ainsi que des autres passagers. La formation aux premiers secours doit rassurer et renforcer la confiance des conducteurs dans la réalisation du transport d’urgence des patients.
Pour consulter le manuel en francais ou en malgache, cliquez sur le lien ci-dessous.
Since 2016, Transaid’s Professional Driver Training – Uganda (PDTU) project has been working to improve the capacity of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and passenger service vehicle (PSV) drivers in Uganda. The COVID-19 pandemic, first recorded in Uganda in March 2020, has added a number of new challenges for professional truck drivers at a time when the need to maintain vital supplies of foods, medicines and other essential assistance is increasingly falling to road transporters.
Despite the risk of exposure, truck drivers have continued to work through unpredictable and deteriorating working conditions, whilst facing increased scrutiny and stigma particularly as many of the new cases of COVID-19 being reported in Uganda are from long distance drivers being tested at the borders.
In response, Transaid and Safe Way Right Way have partnered with transporter unions in Uganda to produce truck driver-specific COVID-19 information and key road safety messaging. Due to the nature of their work, truck drivers are often away from home for several weeks at a time and work irregular hours, so in addition to printed factsheets and face to face sensitisation, three radio jingles were produced to increase the reach and coverage of our messaging.
All three jingles were recorded in Uganda and are available in English, Luganda and Swahili.
On 25th August 2020, Transaid hosted a webinar featuring representatives from MAMaZ Against Malaria At Scale (Zambia), First African Bicycle Information Organisation (Uganda), Bikes for the World (USA) and Village Bicycle Project (Sierra Leone).
The panel shared insights and key learnings from experiences of adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic and how these response activities have helped with mobility and access to healthcare, spread of information and livelihoods. The webinar concluded with a Q&A session hosted by Transaid’s Project Manager, Jason Finch.
Watch the webinar recording at this link.
Download the webinar slides by clicking below.
Transaid and Safe Way Right Way co-hosted a webinar linked to the work of the Professional Driver Training – Uganda programme, which highlighted the COVID-19 response being integrated to support the preparedness of truck drivers to address some of the challenges they are experiencing, discussed measures to support the Ministry of Health’s response, and shared plans to provide ongoing support to truck drivers to continue their work safely.
Speakers: Sam Clark – Transaid, Peter Tibigambwa – Safe Way Right Way, Jason Finch – Transaid.
Watch the webinar here.
Click below to download the webinar slides.
On 30th June Transaid hosted a webinar exploring motorcycle and three-wheeler use in five sub-Saharan African countries. Speakers and panellists held a discussion on the research funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) as part of the Research for Community Access Partnership (ReCAP), and shared insights on what’s changed with COVID-19.
Speakers: Ms. Caroline Barber – CEO, Transaid. Ms. Kim van der Weijde – Project Manager, Transaid
Panellists: Dr. Nono Mvuama – University of Kinshasa. Mr. Kevin Mubadi – Chairman, Boda Boda Safety Association of Kenya. Ms. Grace Wahome – Programme Director, International Forum for Rural Transport and Development (IFRTD)
Watch the webinar here.
Click below to download the webinar deck.
Since 2016, Transaid’s Professional Driver Training – Uganda project (PDTU) has been working to improve the capacity of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and passenger service vehicle (PSV) drivers in Uganda. The COVID-19 pandemic, first recorded in Uganda in March 2020, has added a number of new challenges for professional truck drivers at a time when the need to maintain vital supplies of foods, medicines and other essential assistance is increasingly falling to road transporters.
Despite the risk of exposure, truck drivers have continued to work through unpredictable and deteriorating working conditions, whilst facing increased scrutiny and stigma particularly as many of the new cases of COVID-19 being reported in Uganda are from long distance drivers being tested at the borders.
In response, Transaid and Safe Way Right Way have partnered with transporter unions in Uganda to produce truck driver-specific COVID-19 information and key road safety messaging, which will be delivered along with a package of essential personal protective equipment (PPE) as part of a wider sensitisation campaign.
Click below to view the Truck Driver COVID-19 Sensitisation Poster in English, Luganda, Swahili and French.
Since 2016, Transaid’s Professional Driver Training – Uganda project (PDTU) has been working to improve the capacity of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and passenger service vehicle (PSV) drivers in Uganda. The COVID-19 pandemic, first recorded in Uganda in March 2020, has added a number of new challenges for professional truck drivers at a time when the need to maintain vital supplies of foods, medicines and other essential assistance is increasingly falling to road transporters.
Despite the risk of exposure, truck drivers have continued to work through unpredictable and deteriorating working conditions, whilst facing increased scrutiny and stigma particularly as many of the new cases of COVID-19 being reported in Uganda are from long distance drivers being tested at the borders.
In response, Transaid and Safe Way Right Way have partnered with transporter unions in Uganda to produce truck driver-specific COVID-19 information and key road safety messaging, which will be delivered along with a package of essential personal protective equipment (PPE) as part of a wider sensitisation campaign.
Click below to view the Truck Driver COVID-19 Cab Cleaning Guide in English, Luganda, Swahili and French.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, many have faced unprecedented challenges around the world. Like many organisations, Transaid has been adapting and finding new ways of working, and making sure that all staff, consultants and volunteers are protected and safe. Consequently, Transaid has been working to introduce new protocols and ways of working for our colleagues in the field.
As part of this, Transaid have been focusing on awareness raising, establishing hand washing stations and topping up the community food banks as part of the preparedness planning in the MAM@Scale intervention sites in Zambia. This also included the development of materials aimed at supporting awareness raising activities, and to ensure that the people on the frontline of project operations, as well as the people they are supporting, are safe and protected at all times.
The stresses and strains of the pandemic have led to an increase of Gender Based Violence (GBV) reported in communities. MAM@Scale COVID-19 Response has therefore begun to incorporate a GBV campaign in its activities.
Click below to view the Gender Based Violence Poster in English and Bemba.