Riders for Health (Riders) is an international organisation working to improve the capacity and efficiency of health care delivery systems in Africa by ensuring that health workers have uninterrupted access to reliable transportation. Barry visited Somalia in the late 1980s where he observed a garage of abandoned motorcycles and ambulances all of which had broken down due to poor maintenance. The
underdeveloped health infrastructure in Africa coupled with the risks posed to mothers and children stirred Andrea and Barry’s passion to help improve lives. They saw that well-maintained motorcycles in Africa could help mobilise health care workers and increase access to healthcare services, especially to poor remote places. With the help of well-meaning friends and colleagues, Andrea and Barry raised money at bike rallies in England, the proceeds of which was used to acquire motorcycles, train riders and technicians to set up pilot programs in Uganda and The Gambia. Between 1991 and 1996, they had built a fleet of 47 bikes that delivered health-care services with zero breakdown. By the end of 1996, Riders for Health was fully established and had begun to expand and gain a respectable reputation across Africa. Today, Andrea and Barry’s vision of a world in which healthcare reaches everyone, everywhere continues to improve equal access to healthcare services for over 20 million Africans.
