Tricycle Ambulances in Ghana

The Rotary Club of Cambridge is the primary sponsoring club

A lack of affordable medical transportation and the poor quality of roads, contribute to the high maternal mortality ratio in rural Ghana, where there are 308 deaths per 100,000 live births. Moving Health is an NGO that was created to help fill this gap.

In the rural northern regions of Ghana, maternal morbidity rates are four times higher than in other parts of the country, largely due to the lack of timely emergency transportation to health centers and hospitals. Roads are unpaved, deeply rutted, and frequently waterlogged, while motorcycles remain the most common form of transportation. For pregnant women experiencing complications, the choice is often between a dangerous ride or remaining at home without care—an impossible decision that too often results in the latter.

More than five years ago, a group of undergraduate women engineers at MIT D-Lab began addressing this challenge. Their work, later piloted through the MIT PKG Social Innovation Center, evolved into the nonprofit organization Moving Health, which focuses on providing low-cost, ruggedized tricycle ambulances for remote rural areas.

Over the years working closely with local communities in Tanzania and Ghana, Moving Health has refined the ambulance design through seven iterations, resulting in a safe, sustainable solution that prioritizes local needs. Designed specifically for transporting laboring mothers, the ambulance includes space for a nurse and a family member and features a raised, tuned suspension system that minimizes turbulence on rough terrain—reducing physical risk during transport and supporting patients’ emotional well-being. Each ambulance is also equipped with a GPS tracking sensor to record location, time, mileage, and other key data. 
 

The Rotary Club of Bedford joined forces with the Rotary Clubs of Concord and Cambridge (District 7930) to develop a Global Grant aimed at scaling Moving Health’s impact. What began as a $40,000 Global Grant ultimately grew to nearly $130,000, thanks in large part to a $50,000 District Designated Fund (DDF) contribution from District 2650 (Kyoto), matched at 80% by The Rotary Foundation. Additional financial support came from RCs Boston, New Orleans, and Berlin International. This funding will provide five ambulances, training and education to serve five community regions in northern Ghana.

After multiple rounds of review, Rotary International approved Global Grant GG2459680 in December 2025. Implementation planning will begin in January 2026, led by the Rotary Clubs of Cambridge and Bedford on the International Partner side, and the Accra–East Legon Rotaract Club and Rotary Club of Wa on the Host side. Communities are already preparing storage space to garage their ambulances—an early sign of strong local ownership and sustainability.