The Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) has sounded the alarm that long-distance truck drivers traveling along the Northern Transport Corridor are suffering from a myriad of health conditions.
The NCTTCA reports that many commercial truck drivers along the corridor are grappling with health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and eyesight problems.
The Northern Corridor links the Great Lakes countries of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda to the seaport of Mombasa.
According to the NCTTCA, over 60 percent of truck drivers have experienced diverse health conditions ranging from back and neck pain to obesity, short-sightedness, high blood pressure, and general malaise.
The Authority’s Executive Secretary, Dr. John Deng Diar, noted that a medical checkup conducted at Malaba in Busia County during a road safety campaign in April 2023 revealed that up to 60 percent of the drivers had one or more health conditions that require structured intervention.
Dr. Diar stated that truck drivers underwent tests for eyesight, high blood pressure, upper respiratory tract infections, and diabetes, among other ailments, raising concerns about their severe health conditions.
He spoke at the NCTTCA headquarters in Mombasa County ahead of a regional conference on transport corridors and health scheduled to be held from December 2 to 4 this year in Nairobi County.
“We conducted medical check-ups on truck drivers in April last year and were shocked to find that 60 percent of them had one or more health conditions. Our truck drivers are not healthy at all,” he said.
The medical clinic on occupational health problems associated with driving was conducted following the road safety campaign that began at the port of Mombasa.
Dr. Diar mentioned that the Northern Corridor is frequented by between 2,000 and 3,000 long-haul truck drivers daily.
He indicated that the agency is seeking a common intervention and policies to support drivers and the communities they interact with along corridors serving Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
NCTTCA’s Director for Private Sector Investment Promotion, Denis Muganga, stated that the agency is collaborating with North Star Alliance to provide primary healthcare along the corridor.
He explained that North Star Alliance operates blue containers along the corridor and shares data with referral hospitals through its integrated health management system.
“North Star Alliance has been managing data on various ailments collected from truck drivers daily,” he said.
He also noted that the private sector has been actively establishing roadside wellness stations to provide rest for truck drivers and ensure their wellness.
“They have been buying land and providing roadside stations. Some have been providing sanitary facilities along the corridor,” he said, noting that the sedentary nature of long-distance driving puts drivers at risk of developing chronic diseases.
Dr. Diar stated that the roadside wellness centers run by North Star Alliance offer low-barrier and low-cost responses to the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in the transport industry.
“The North Star Alliance’s broad healthcare package covers primary healthcare, including malaria, tuberculosis, emerging non-communicable diseases, HIV testing and treatment, sexual and reproductive health and rights, behavior change communication, and health education,” Diar said.
Diar mentioned that the conference aims to foster synergies among stakeholders and promote health, trade, and economic development along Africa’s transport corridors.
He called on truck drivers to be responsible to the communities they interact with and urged truck owners to take responsibility for the health of their drivers.
Diar noted that NCTTCA is targeting 1,000 truck drivers for training on their health to raise awareness of the issue.
“We want the drivers to report their health concerns to their employers. We want to mainstream the issue of drivers’ health. Most importantly, the problem has been identified,” he said.
He added that after the Nairobi conference, which is set to be attended by delegates from 10 countries in Africa and elsewhere, NCTTCA may lobby for a protocol to mainstream the health of drivers and communities along the Northern Corridor.
The corridor has faced challenges such as COVID-19 and Ebola, among other pandemics.
