Africa accounts for 93% of malaria deaths worldwide, whilst children under five make up over 60% of all malaria deaths (source: World Health Organisation). Remote rural communities in Africa are at even greater risk as they face additional challenges accessing malaria treatment. These challenges have only been compounded by the effects of COVID-19.

The circumstances surrounding this years appeal are like none we've ever faced before, but now more than ever, we need your help. We are rising to the challenge of the pandemic through our programmes in Uganda and Zambia, but we need your support to make sure no one is left behind in the fight against COVID-19.

In Zambia, we have adapted the proven MAMaZ Against Malaria (MAM) at Scale programme to tackle COVID-19 as well as malaria. Many rural Zambian communities are located far from health facilities. The distance can prove to be a barrier for those seeking healthcare even in normal circumstances, but it is all the more problematic during a pandemic. Read more about our lifesaving work in Zambia here.

In Uganda, Transaid has launched a project to protect HGV drivers from COVID-19. Transaid is working with local partners to roll out driver specific safety advice and providing hand-washing facilities, cab sanitisation guidelines, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). With your help we can continue to ensure rural community access to healthcare and ensure that truck drivers do not have to fear for their health when they leave for a days work. You can find out more about our emergency project for HGV drivers in Uganda here.

Here are some examples of what your donations could help fund:

£240 could fund 800 doses of RAS (pre-referral anti-malarial drug) buying 800 sick children an extra 12 hours to reach a health facility.

£120 could provide a health worker with a strong bicycle, enabling doctors and nurses to reach more communities every day.

£60 could buy Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 sensitisation sessions for ten truck drivers.

£12 could buy the materials to install eight tippy taps, to equip four communities with two hand washing facilities, to help fight against diseases, infections and COVID-19.

Brenda's Story

Brenda is a Community Facilitator with MAM at Scale in Serenje District, Zambia. It's her job to to mobilise communities, mentor and coach Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) and to create a link between communities and health facilities.

Brenda has seen first-hand the power of CHVs, who are a respected voice in their community: When CHVs conduct group discussion sessions focused on severe malaria and other childhood illnesses, participation from the community is good. I am happy that the community has accepted our approach and everyone in the community pass through the CHVs when going to the facility.

Our in country partners are extremely hard working and dedicated when it comes to ensuring people can reach medical help when they need, often working long hours and travelling great distances to help communities in need. When conducting field visits to the communities to support and mentor the CHVs, I start off at 5 AM on my bicycle and come back home late in the evening. In Kalibanama community where the villages are distantly spaced, I spend hours to reach villages in Chipendeshi where some CHVs are based. The terrain in Chipendeshi is very hilly which makes it impossible to ride a bicycle, Brenda said.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Community Facilitators such as Brenda, Transaid has already trained over 1,300 Community Health Volunteers to respond to the pandemic in their communities, and equipped them with personal protective equipment (PPE). However, we still need your help to keep our programmes running in these uncertain times. Now more than ever, we must act to make sure that everyone has access to healthcare when they need it most.

This campaign is part of a wider appeal, aiming to raise a total of £25,000. We have now surpassed our target for this year's Christmas Appeal, but further donation are more than welcome. If you are a business looking to support the appeal, or if you have any queries, please contact Nicola Parkes at Nicola@Transaid.org.

Transaid would like to thank all the corporate supporters, individual donors and industry publications that have so kindly supported or featured our Christmas advert, such as SHD Logistics, in what are difficult times for everyone. Thank you for making our 2020 Christmas Appeal such a success!