Riders for Wellbeing International Information

Among the very many serious problems faced and endured in rural Africa is the almost total failure of ordinary mechanical transport. This becomes a problem because of the central nature of transport in health care. Transport is a “means to an end”, it gives value (or usefulness) to products and services for it takes them to where they are needed most hence valuable. An effective drug in a warehouse does not have value. It becomes valuable when it is administered to a person in need, who may be in last mile. Without reliable transport for health services to reach the last mile, for example, some of the following things may happen: Infants fail to be immunised and suffer or die from elementary diseases that were long ago conquered in the developed world. Women in threatening labour fail to receive help or to be taken to a facility (maternal mortality is scandalously high in Africa). Diseases break out and spread like wildfire before they can be controlled. Detecting and responding to public health threats, including infectious diseases with epidemic potential can take so long that the patient dies before the result is even known. Probably also infecting other people and the cycle can continue. RfWI partners with Ministries of Health and other Health focused organizations in ensuring access to vital health services in remote, and often underserved, communities in sub Saharan Africa with a collective experience which spans over 30 years.