More than sixty percent of Africa’s population, especially those in remote rural areas, has limited access to healthcare services. Members of these rural communities frequently rely on donkeys, wheelbarrows, or their own two feet for transport, making trips to hospitals or medical facilities practically impossible. To make matters even more challenging, healthcare workers frequently have to traverse steep gradients and unpaved roads to reach these remote villages.
For that reason, the best way to access Africa’s rural regions is by motorbike, and Riders for Health provides medical personnel with the vehicles they need to navigate the challenging terrain. The non-profit organization has served doctors and nurses for more than 30 years with programs running in The Gambia, Lesotho, Malawi, and Nigeria.
Throughout Riders for Health’s history, it has frequently supplied healthcare professionals with Yamaha motorbikes. As a result, medical workers can administer infant immunization, disease treatment, and pre-natal and elderly care to communities in need. Motorbike transport not only doubles the length of time a doctor can spend in each village, but they can also see six times more patients than they could on foot.
That adjacency and the organization’s core values naturally align with what Yamaha calls its “ethos of contributing to society and bringing value to people’s lives.” To strengthen that relationship, Yamaha has announced a three-year partnership between Riders for Health and the Japanese manufacturer.
Under the agreement, Team Blue will support Riders for Health’s UK-based fundraising arm, Two Wheels for Life, by assisting and amplifying awareness of various fundraising events. Additionally, Riders for Health will act as the title partner for Yamaha Racing’s Africa Eco Race entry featuring riders Pol Tarres and Alessandro Botturi.
Leading up to the competition, Yamaha and Riders for Health will launch new fundraising opportunities via Yamaha Motor Europe’s social pages and on the Yamaha Motor for Riders website. The Riders for Health and Yamaha partnership may last three years, but those looking to make an immediate impact can donate directly on the dedicated webpage.
