Health Access Corps, an Ugandan non-profit organization to combat lack of healthcare access in unserved communities

One of the biggest problems for locals in remote and rural areas of Africa is the lack of transportation and logistics for moving the sick and injured. Chris Ategeka, who was born in a small village in western Uganda, is one of the many witnesses to this problem, as at a young age he saw his parents die of AIDS and also his brother while he was trying to carry him to the nearest health center.

Chris was fully shocked by this experience, and noticed since very young that access to healthcare is a serious obstacle in rural communities. When he thinks about healthcare access he doesn’t only picture getting someone to a hospital or bringing a mobile hospital to them, but also the need for investment in healthcare professionals to fight the so called brain drain. As Chris says “On one hand you witness many people suffering and sometimes dying due to lack of access to trained health professionals; on the other hand you see a massive number of trained professionals leaving their countries headed for foreign lands in search for better wages.”

Health Access Corps, formerly Rides for Lives, is a non-profit organization founded by Chris Ategeka with a vision to create a world where every human being has access healthcare. They provide technologies for healthcare access to vulnerable populations not only in Uganda but in East Africa.

Their signature products are The Mobile Hospital and the Village Ambulance, which were local motorcycle taxis, known as boda-bodas, transformed into mobile medical clinics equipped with solar panels, a refrigerator, and medical equipment. These mobile hospitals can provide critical healthcare services that would otherwise be difficult to access due to poor infrastructure and inadequate healthcare resources. The company's innovative approach to healthcare delivery has helped to improve health outcomes and save lives in underserved communities.

They aim to create a scalable and sustainable solution to the lack of healthcare access utilizing local talent, emphasizing the problem of brain drain and the importance of local autonomy.

Adapted from:
https://healthaccesscorps.org/
https://www.thisisuganda.org/heard-about-bike-ambulances-they-are-reduci...
https://www.brightvibes.com/rides-for-lives-a-mobile-hospital-saving-liv...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oT1Sn9JCuw