Amref Health Africa, in partnership with World Bicycle Relief, has handed over 111 bicycles to top-performing Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) during a ceremony at Bwaila Hospital in Lilongwe.
This initiative follows a one-year training programme for HSAs, who have now been recognised as Disease Control and Surveillance Assistants by the Medical Council of Malawi.
Stakeholders had an opportunity to evaluate the challenges and successes of delivering healthcare in remote areas.
One of the HSAs from Likuni, Tiyamike Makwani, expressed her gratitude upon receiving a bicycle.

She said: “It will be much easier now, because where I’m working is a hard-to-reach area. This bicycle will save me transport costs and allow me to reach every area I am supposed to serve the community.”
In his remarks, Programme Manager at Amref Health Africa, Young Samanyika, narrated the broader impact of the project:
“Training alone isn’t enough. These bicycles are important for HSAs to perform their duties effectively. We trained about 497 HSAs last year, and today’s handover is just the beginning. We are distributing 120 bicycles across various districts.”
On his part, District Environmental Health Officer for Lilongwe, Paul Chunga, reiterated the importance of the donation: “These bicycles are critical for our frontline workers. They need reliable transport to conduct immunisations, patient follow-ups, and distribute essential health supplies like mosquito nets. This is just the start, but it’s a significant step.”

Chunga also addressed issues of maintenance and longevity of the bicycles, noting, “The HSAs must take ownership of these bicycles. They should maintain them to ensure they last long.”
According to Samanyika, the initiative not only recognises the hard work of HSAs but also aims to close gaps in healthcare delivery, particularly in remote Malawian communities where access to healthcare can be challenging. He further said handing over the bicycles, though not enough to cover all needs, represents a commitment to enhancing the health system’s mobility and effectiveness.
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