So to come across the Riders for Health website was great and to then watch the short film narrated by Ewan McGregor filled me with the kind of hope that will one day see the great African continent stand on its own feet and singing to its own tune!

The information below is taken from their website:

“Riders for Health is an international non-governmental organisation born out of the world of motorcycle racing. Its mission is to ensure that health workers in Africa have uninterrupted access to reliable transport.

Without such transport, all health care projects fail. Using an innovative social enterprise model, Riders has developed a practical, dynamic approach which is helping to achieve real and sustainable development.

They have put in place reliable preventive maintenance systems for two- and four-wheeled vehicles used in health care delivery allowing health workers to reach rural villages time and time again.

Riders currently operates three national programmes, in the Gambia, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, where we work with ministries of health, UN agencies and local humanitarian organisations.

All programmes are managed by wholly-African, wholly-professional teams, and not by volunteers or expatriates.

This means that Riders is able to build a lasting base of local knowledge and a culture of maintenance in the communities with which it works.”

Click for website: Riders for Health

Click for the video: Ewan McGregor & Riders for Health

by Lauri Romanzi, M.D.

“It was my second journey as a volunteer fistula surgeon to Niger that I met the woman who taught me what it means to expect the unexpected.”

Women’s Voices for Change

“The International Coordination Group (ICG) is well-stocked with seven million vaccine doses at the ready to supplement existing government stocks if needed,” Katya Fernandez-Vegas, technical officer for WHO in Geneva told IRIN. The ICG was set up in 1995 to ensure meningitis vaccines are used where they are most needed.

Click here for full article: Reuters AlertNet

Due to poor management of health systems, poverty, malnutrition and conflicts, most of West and Central Africa countries can not reduce the child mortality rate. These factors are also combined with a lack of access to skilled medical staff.

Click here for article

Action for Global Health is a cross-Europe network of NGOs and charities, calling for Europe to act now to enable developing countries to achieve the health Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

We educate on Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), empower people living with HIV (PLHIV) and improve their self sufficiency.

Our clinic in Accra is open to all people in need of medical assistance of any kind.

Click here: West Africa Aids Foundation

Click here: Diary: Sierra Leone slum medic

Pharma West Africa 2008 is an International trade exhibition targeting international manufacturers and traders interested in the African market. It is a trade event brings together the industry’s most respected leaders, associations and government agencies to discuss how to effectively manage cost efficiency.

It is a trade Expo that will put you on the leading edge and provide you with new exciting opportunities you will not find anywhere else at one place at one time.

Click for the event website: Pharma West Africa 2008

Press Release - Pharma West Africa

West African Health Conference brings together stakeholders in health sector from Nigeria, other West African countries & abroad. Exclusively dedicated to healthcare professionals & investors.

West African Health Exhibition 2008 will host more than 150 exhibitors from the sub-region and globally and will receive 14,000 visitors including Manufacturers, Wholesalers, Major Buyers, Distributors, Importers, Directors and CEO’s of Hospitals.

West African Health 2008

West African Health 2008 Pdf

We ensure that children are involved in all aspects of our programmes, working with adults who have learnt to value their contribution.

Plan International

Geo-POD is a sustainable infrastructure facility using converted ISO containers or locally manufactured units; the Geo-POD acts as the catalyst for people in developing countries to change their lives. It is a ‘box’ in which a community can make something they want happen.

It enables the three basic factors for regeneration and development to take place – Trade, Health and Education.

“Geo-POD gets to the very heart of the problem…the Point Of Delivery!”

Geo-POD Foundation