Malawi
Results from a pilot study show that the availability of free-to-use, readily available, safe and reliable emergency transport has been instrumental in reducing referral times, increasing facility deliveries and percentage of c-sections and thus contributing to significantly reduced maternal mortality rates (MMR) and neo-natal mortality rates in the region.
The report clearly shows that whilst Dowa’s neighbouring district’s MMR continues to increase, Dowa’s MMR dropped by almost half in the first year of eRanger’s deployment and has continued to fall since then.
Note: Statistics are based on figures from short-term pilot study and should be taken as estimates due to the imprecise nature of comparative figures prior to the study. However, they have been universally accepted and are clearly indicative of eRanger’s life-saving benefits.
Aside from the obvious health benefits to the local population, there have been a number of significant developments to health policy on a local, district, national and pan-African level as a direct response to the quantifiable and tangible results seen in Malawi’s Dowa District since the introduction of eRanger’s in 2005:
The Malawi Government Motorcycle Ambulance Project was named runner up in the Public Sector Organisation category in the prestigious 2006 Pan African Health Awards.
The mobile Ambulance has been adopted into Africa’s maternal mortality Road Map (launched March 2007) to combat maternal and infant death. Supported by the UNFPA, WHO and UNICEF, the Road Map has been launched in Malawi, Lesotho and Tanzania with other nations expected to follow suit based on 2000 African Union recommendations to accelerate achievement of Millennium Development Goals 5 and 6.

