Funding boost for Transaid delivering Kenyan access to health services

The six-month programme will promote access and engagement with free and established health services where drivers already gather, with the aim of reducing barriers to quality health services in local clinics.

Key messaging around improved cargo and road safety, developed in partnership with transport industry leaders, will also be placed in local clinics.

Sam Clark, Transaid’s head of programmes, said: “The amount of time drivers spend on the road limits their access to healthcare and up-to-date information such as road safety risks.

“Our goal with this project is to improve access to all of these without making big changes to their normal day-to-day activities.”

Transaid will work in conjunction with North Star Alliance, operating out of its Jomvu Roadside Wellness Centre in Mombasa, strategically located along the Northern Corridor near the port enclave to target mobile populations like long-distance drivers.

Clark said: “This project is about reducing risk and enhancing the safety of all road users. Professional drivers are critical to the distribution of goods, and it’s important they have access to the necessary services they need to stay healthy, plus information which will help them to operate safely in their roles.”

Road traffic fatalities are now the leading cause of death for individuals aged 5-29 years in sub-Saharan Africa, frequently affecting the most economically active individuals, which in turn further exacerbates household poverty.

Clark added: “Ensuring that the health and safety needs of professional drivers and other road users are met should be a priority in reducing the loss of life on roads globally.”