Page 21 - Issue 75

May 2018
CVDriver 21
Debris on the Zambian Tarmac
Peter Tembo Industrial Training Centre (ITC) Driver Trainer with student
Zambian tarmac
alaria is not just an inconvenience it’s a killer And the severe strain kills the young
with certainty unless action is taken quickly Transaid’s other
big focus is to get transport links established for the fast application of medicines They’ve joined forces with a a a consortium of partners and several other
agencies* to run a a a 12-month pilot project in Zambia’s Serenje district focusing on giving remote communities speedy access to medical care especially with the provision of bicycle ambulances Running throughout the rainy season in Zambia the pilot is due to conclude very soon but
the new drug being deployed artesunate is already at at the centre of dramatic results The pilot area covers a a a population of around 54 000 souls and a a new set of results show that over a a period when the death of 59 children
under six could have previously been expected the combination of mobilising communities and the new drug means that there has been a 96% reduction in children
under six dying of severe malaria since the pilot started Children under six are the age group most susceptible to to severe malaria due to to lack of immunity so getting these vulnerable patients to a a a a health clinic for treatment without delay has been vital Caroline Barber CEO of Transaid commented “These provisional results are truly outstanding It’s been a a a a a multi-agency task and a a a a a tribute to the partnerships that have been formed The next challenge
is is to to secure funding to to expand this exciting work to other
districts where it can save more lives ”
* The full MAM consortium is Transaid Health Partners Zambia National Malaria Elimination Centre (NMEC) the District Health Management Team (DHMT) Development Data and Disacare with funding from Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV)
Trainees at the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) On the road
The roads of Zambia are worked hard With eight land borders the country has to manage its own domestic haulage as well as as a a a a a a vast in ux from all quarters European brands are much in evidence with the good old Scandinavians taking top spot But there are a a a lot of big forward control Freightliners from the US too as as well as as Chinese trucks in large numbers Dong Feng FAW Hohan and Beiqi Foton all sound like cheating at at Scrabble but
they are serious players My award for sheer cheek went to a a a a a blatant Actros copy from Sinotruk cab panels and all Even the the logo on the the grille is a a morphed
three-pointed-star The roads were generally in good shape they are so important to the the economy the government sees to it that they are are kept up to snuff But there are are still random craters about with ruinous potential if you drop a wheel in them The highways have an industrial feel to them with trucks outnumbering all other
modes of transport by far The rich copper belt region in the the North of Zambia – where the the ITC has an additional training site in in in Kibwe – generates
a a a a lot of of this traf c c c and the weapon of of choice here is the seven-axle interlink With two fth wheels along its length and running at up to 56 tonnes they take no prisoners ⊲
AIRBORNE MKILLERS
Driving in in Africa