“Astrata’s GPS technology is a critical component of Stanford University’s multi-year evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of contracting out vehicle delivery fleet management as an approach to strengthening the performance of health delivery organizations in Zambia.” Said Davis, of the Riders for Health program sponsored by Stanford University and the Gates Foundation.

Stanford University is partnering with Riders for Health, a nonprofit organization focused on providing reliable and cost-efficient transportation solutions for health workers who are reaching out to rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Riders has developed a system for managing fleets of delivery vehicles and motorcycles with planned preventive maintenance. The organization’s mission is to strengthen health systems in global health, and it is working toward the vision of a world in which no one dies of an easily preventable or curable disease because they cannot be reached with commonly available medical supplies due to barriers of distance, terrain or poverty. Riders believes heath care should be available to everyone, regardless of location or local geography.

Stanford is evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of Riders’ delivery model. A key component of the research data utilizes Astrata’s GPS tracking and back-end management technology. GPS trackers are affixed to Riders for Health and Ministry of Health vehicles as well as motorcycles in Zambia’s Southern Province. By tracking the movements of health workers, motorcycles and vehicles, Stanford is able to manage on-time performance, security, location and effectiveness of the in delivery system in supporting the medical supply-chain.