Riders for Health (RfH)

It only takes a few hours to reach any capital in the world by plane, but it can take days and many hardships to reach the more rural areas in developing countries. Many development efforts are failing because distribution proves to be the key component no one had thought of. Food supplies, new drugs, vaccines and other critical health products - including mosquito nets and condoms will have no effect unless they reach their destination.

Riders for Health (RfH) has introduced motorcycles as well as other vehicles as an efficient means to deliver health care services. RfH has proven that adequate modern-day technology can perform without breakdowns even across the unforgiving terrain of rural Africa. To achieve this success, RfH had to bring about a change in the traditional practice. By working closely with local communities, these have learned that rather than using something until it breaks down, the life and performance of any vehicle or equipment can be extended through preventative maintenance.

In addition to cost savings, RfH has a significant impact in the area of primary health care delivery. By using a motorcycle, health and other aid workers have increased their number of visits to remote communities by 300%. RfH believes that with each motorcycle it runs, 20,000 people receive primary health care each year. In one district in Zimbabwe, malaria rates decreased by 20% after health workers were equipped with motorcycles and could cover 96% of the district with preventive services, mosquito nets, and anti-malarial drugs.