Motorcycles are a key to treatment in climate-challenged times

Riders for Health currently operates in The Gambia, Lesotho, Malawi, and Nigeria. The charity employs motorcycles to reach remote communities, facilitating the delivery of medical supplies and support for public health campaigns. The bikes are selected for their reliability and capability to traverse off-road terrain.

Motorcycles contribute to climate resilience in Africa by improving healthcare access in remote areas affected by climate change. They deliver essential supplies during environmental crises and provide a low-emission, sustainable transport solution for addressing climate-driven health emergencies.

Since 2022, Yamaha has donated 48 AG100 motorcycles to Riders for Health in The Gambia, with more units to follow as part of the extended partnership. Yamaha also provides vehicle maintenance and fleet support to ensure operational continuity in challenging environments, in addition to promotional backing. The company has named Riders for Health as the title partner of its Ténéré Yamaha Rally Team.

Olivier Prévost, President and Chief Executive of Yamaha Motor Europe, expressed pride in the ongoing collaboration with Riders for Health. Kayode Ajayi, Chief Executive of Riders for Health, welcomed the renewed agreement, stating that the extended partnership would assist the organisation in expanding its reach and enhancing its impact across underserved communities in Africa.

Riders for Health is a nonprofit organisation that ensures reliable transportation for health workers throughout rural Africa. By managing and maintaining motorcycles and other vehicles, Riders facilitate the delivery of vital healthcare services to communities often isolated by poor roads and long distances. The organisation also trains health workers in safe riding and basic maintenance, creating a sustainable system that reduces vehicle breakdowns and improves the reach and efficiency of national health programmes.

Motorcycles are crucial for climate resilience, ensuring last-mile delivery of health services in Africa’s most remote and climate-affected regions. Their ability to navigate unpaved, flood-prone, or deteriorating roads makes them indispensable in reaching communities cut off by extreme weather. In areas where four-wheel vehicles struggle, motorcycles reliably deliver vaccines, medicines and emergency care, helping to maintain continuity of care and strengthen local health systems against climate disruptions.

Beyond improving accessibility, motorcycles also reduce delays in urgent care and facilitate faster response times during climate-related emergencies, such as disease outbreaks or natural disasters. As rural infrastructure struggles to keep pace with climate change, motorcycles remain cost-effective, adaptable and increasingly sustainable with the rise of electric models. Their use supports equitable healthcare access and enhances the overall resilience of African health systems in the face of environmental stressors.

Mobility remains an afterthought in most health budgets, when it should be a dedicated line item in every health programme.

The problem is that many global health interventions still operate as though drugs, diagnostics and data are the only essentials. The assumption is: if you build it, they will come. But what if they can't get there? Or worse, what if the supplies never arrive?

Despite the billions spent on vaccines, medications and equipment, many of these resources fail to reach the people who need them most because transport is not funded, not maintained or not even considered.

Climate change only compounds the issue. Flooded roads and new disease outbreaks demand rapid, reliable response. In these moments, motorcycles are the first and often only means of reaching the last mile.