The Gambia has been recognised for its success in bringing universal access to maternal health care closer for its citizens by becoming Africa's first country to have enough motorcycles and ambulances to deliver health care to the whole country.The partnership between The Gambian Ministry of Health and Riders for Health, has now been recognised by the Aspen Institutes' Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health. Chaired by Mary Robinson, the Global Leader's Council named The Gambia winner in the finance category of its annual Resolve Award, for the innovative and groundbreaking way that it is ensuring that it has a reliable fleet of health care vehicles.Transport is the weak link in health care in Africa. Over 60% of people in Africa live five miles from a health centre. People in rural, isolated villages rely on health care workers being able to reach them, but health workers lack the reliable transport. The result is that children go without lifesaving vaccinations and in many countries up to one woman in 12 dies in childbirth because health care workers can't reach them – or they can't get to hospital.To solve this issue of isolation, The Gambia has established a partnership with Riders for Health, who manage and maintain vehicles for the Ministry of Health. The programme involves Riders for Health leasing a fleet of vehicles to the Ministry of Health, providing sustainable, reliable transport for the future. The impact of this programme has been that outreach health workers can visit three times as many villages each week and spend twice as long in the community each day. A third of health centres are now holding more outreach clinics each month across the country and not a single clinic has been cancelled due to a lack of transport.The Gambia's nomination stood out due to the innovation of the Riders for Health programme and the potential for the programme to be a model for many other African countries facing the same transport barriers to quality health care. Riders co-founder and CEO Andrea Coleman said 'The partnership between Riders for Health and The Gambia is saving money and saving lives. It should be a model for countries across Africa. We are making sure that the management of vehicles is well funded and sustainable. This gives the ministry of health the security to plan and means health care can reach everyone who needs it. Riders for Health have shown what can be achieved with sustainable budgeting and good financial discipline.' 'The Resolve Award winners show us that, even in the most challenging environments, progress can be made,' said Peggy Clark, Executive Director of Aspen Global Health and Development and Vice President of Policy Programs at the Aspen Institute. 'With ingenuity and commitment, these leaders are pushing the frontiers of reproductive health.'On 22 May 2013, Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health (GLC) member Joy Phumaphi will present the Resolve Award to representatives of The Gambia at a ceremony during the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. To learn more about each of the Resolve Award winners watch the ceremony at www.aspeninstitute.org/live and participate via Twitter by following @GLCRHresolve and #Resolve.Communication Riders for Health - www.riders.org -
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