Health by Motorbike (HbM) prepares women and girls with culturally sensitive health education by training them as health promoters who will in turn train other women and girls, offering practical solutions to basic health concerns on reproductive health, maternal health, child health, preventable diseases, and treatable infections.They will promote good basic personal and home hygiene and sanitation, as well as provide basic understanding of water-borne disease,waste management and the fundamentals of nutrition. They will also aim to replace superstitious practices with basic medical knowledge and increase awareness about the importance of immunization and pre-and post-natal care.
The second objective will be met through provision of basic medical assistance by equipping a motorbike with one bag of medical equipment: thermometers, blood pressure machine, mini plastic or paper bags for medications, disposable needles and syringes, scale, mosquito nets for pregnant women and children under five, immunization record sheets and growth charts. In one program run in 2010 in Lunga Lunga called "Under the Net," Health by Motorbike distributed materials for making malaria nets to women beyond child-bearing age. This was crucial because, although the government offers free nets for pregnant women and children under 5, these older women are often ignored. In addition, supplying the women with the materials for making nets gave them an income-generating activity.
HbM has launched the "Malaria Street Theater" that consist of a group of women actresses that perform health scripts during the year around their rural communities. The Street Theater has become a hit in the area since the women perform at least twice a month and the villagers look forward to their performance. Children are invited as well so they start learning health lessons at an early age.
The Malaria Street Theater perform stories on HIV/AIDS, malaria, infectious diseases, reproduction, sanitation and hygiene, etc.
In January 2013, four interns will start an outreach vaccination campaign in the villages.
