Celebrate Solutions: Motorcycle Ambulances for Mothers

By: Madeline Taskier, Partnership Coordinator at Women Deliver

When a woman experiences a pregnancy complication such as pre-term labor, postpartum hemorrhage, or obstructed labor, her life often depends on getting to a healthcare facility fast. But in the hardest-to-reach areas of the world, there are few affordable or available ambulance services willing to travel long distances to pick up the woman. This transportation delay significantly increases a woman’s risk of dying or experiencing a serious injury during childbirth.

One company is directly addressing this problem. e-Ranger produces motorcycle ambulances that can be used to shorten the time between the onset of emergency complications and a woman’s arrival at a healthcare facility. Each motorcycle designed for the transport of pregnant women is both durable and versatile, and is built to drive over tough terrain. The ambulance is designed for easy acceptance and use in the community because it creates more jobs for locals.

One example of e-Ranger’s great success is it’s safe motherhood partnership in Southern Sudan. Sudan has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the world with 750 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births and a government that’s eager to increase access to healthcare for pregnant women. In 2009, the Government of Southern Sudan partnered with UNICEF to roll out the latest e-Ranger integrated health transportation program. The e-Ranger team created a series of motorcycles designed to hold a reclining woman in a sidecar bed while allowing room for a community health worker or family member to ride along.

In the Sudanese state of Eastern Equatoria, five motorcycle ambulances were deployed and 15 drivers trained to drive and assist women in the ambulances. In addition, the e-Ranger team trained local mechanics to repair these motorcycles in case of a breakdown. The local community galvanized their efforts by posting advertisements with the ambulance phone number along major roads, announcing the program in churches, and broadcasting messages over local radio stations. In the first year of implementation, no deaths were reported among the 170 women who suffered pregnancy complications and used the ambulance service to access the district healthcare facility.  

In order for us to reach MDG5 by 2015, we need to tackle women’s delay in arriving at an emergency care facility with innovative transportation programs that are part of a long-term health strategy. The e-Ranger motorcycle ambulance does just that with its flexible design and inexpensive operation costs. With e-Ranger programs embedded in communities, families can rest easy knowing that their mothers will be able to reach the healthcare they need, quickly and safely.  

Check out the other e-Ranger Programs.
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