A motorbike ambulance for Ethiopia

THET, the Tropical Health and Education Trust (http://www.thet.org.uk/) works to improve access to and the quality of health services in developing countries.  Late in 2008 CMaD funded THET to provide a motorbike ambulance to the Yirgacheffe Health Centre in southern Ethiopia,  with the specific aim of reducing deaths of mothers and their babies during childbirth.

The maternal and neonatal mortality rates in Ethiopia are among the highest in the world – in 2006 one mother died for every 140 live births, and one in 20 babies died within 28 days of birth.  Such figures would be a national scandal anywhere in our ‘western’ world.   Most mothers – and babies - die just before, during or after delivery, usually from complications that cannot be predicted and are difficult to prevent. 

Survival rates depend on many things, but one of the most significant is the distance and time a woman must travel to reach skilled emergency medical care.  Over 80% of Ethiopians live in rural areas - most of them more than 5 miles from any health centre and a fifth live beyond 10 miles.   Getting critically ill patients to a health centre and on to a hospital is very difficult, due to the distances, the lack of proper roads and suitable transport.   

Motorbike ambulances are an ideal form of emergency transport in many parts of Africa - they can deal with difficult terrain, they are reliable,  relatively cheap and easy to maintain and drivers can be trained quickly.

The motorbike ambulance donated by CMaD has already made a big impact.  It had already been used 65 times by the end of May 2009.  One journey was of over 20 miles, though the usual distance was between 3 and 15 miles.  In one instance a husband first had to walk 12 miles in order to contact the health centre, before the motorbike ambulance could collect his pregnant and critically ill wife from home. The Mayor reported big celebrations in the village following the survival of both mother and baby.

In another instance, a heavily pregnant woman with obstructed labour walked (!) for several miles to try to get to the health centre. Still 4 miles from the health centre she collapsed due to exhaustion.  She was found by a passer (a modern day Good Samaritan !) who used his mobile phone to call out the CMaD motorbike ambulance to her.  Both mother and baby were saved.

The above report is heartening in itself, but it is also a good example of the specific feedback we receive on the projects that CMaD now supports.  Thanks to the continuing generous support of the brotherhood,  we hope to be able to fund more lifesaving projects like this in the future.