With support from GAVI, trained riders are overcoming rough terrain and long distances to ensure vaccines reach the children who need them most.
Harriet Mason-UNICEFSierraLeone/2026/Mason 13 February 2026
Kamawonie, Sierra Leone — The early morning sun spills gently across the small Kamawonie Community Health Post (CHP) as new mother Isatu Bah cradles her day-old son, Abdulai. Wrapped snugly in a blanket, Abdulai lets out a soft whimper as Nurse Adama Foday-Kamara, a Maternal and Child Health Aide, carefully administers his BCG vaccine, protecting him from tuberculosis right from birth.
It’s a small moment, but one that carries immense significance. In this rural corner of Sierra Leone, where roads are rough and transportation is scarce, delivering vaccines to health facilities on time was a major challenge, with health facilities relying on health workers to make the long journey to pick up vaccines. Today, however, that’s changing, thanks to the Direct Delivery of Routine Immunization Vaccines and other Primary Health Care (PHC) commodities for Equity (DRIVE) Initiative, conceptualized and implemented by UNICEF with funding support from Gavi.
“This is my second child,” Isatu says softly, smiling down at Abdulai. “I am happy he got his vaccine right after birth, as the first one didn’t. We waited weeks for vaccines to arrive. Now everything is here on time.”
Just two years ago, this would have been impossible. For years, Nurse Adama Foday-Kamara, who has served at the Kamawonie CHP since 2022, had to travel long distances to the District Health Management Team’s cold store every month to collect vaccines and ancillary materials for her community.
“I used to spend almost a whole day traveling,” Adama recalls. “Sometimes I had to borrow a motorbike or take self-funded public transport with the vaccines in a carrier. It was stressful, expensive, and it took me away from patients who needed care.”
That changed with the launch of the DRIVE Initiative, which established a system in which trained delivery partners, who are community health workers, deliver vaccines in 8 districts directly to hard-to-reach health facilities such as Kamawonie. The initiative not only ensures consistent vaccine availability but also reduces multiple touch points along the cold chain, contributing to preserving vaccine potency from district stores to community health posts.
“Now the vaccines come to us,” Adama says with relief. “They are delivered safely, on time, and in good condition. It means mothers don’t have to wait, and babies can be vaccinated immediately after birth.”
The man behind today’s delivery, Yayah Sillah, arrives on his motorbike just as Adama finishes with Abdulai’s vaccination. Wearing his windbreaker and helmet, he unloads the insulated carrier and checks the logbook.
“Every trip is important,” Yayah says, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Some of these roads are tough—especially in the rainy season—but knowing that the vaccines I deliver protect children like Abdulai keeps me going. That’s what makes the job worth it.”
Fofie Konneh, the DRIVE Supervisor for Karene District, oversees the coordination of these deliveries and ensures every facility receives supplies as planned. “We’ve seen tremendous improvement since DRIVE started,” he says. “Stockouts have reduced significantly and so is the wastage of vaccine, and health workers are no longer burdened with long trips to collect vaccines. It’s improving both efficiency and morale.”
The impact extends far beyond Kamawonie. Across Sierra Leone, the DRIVE Initiative is reshaping how vaccines reach children and mothers, bringing immunization services closer to those who need them most. The initiative has also been instrumental in integrating new vaccines, including COVID-19, HPV, and malaria, ensuring broader protection and reducing the number of children who miss vital doses. Other essential primary health care commodities such as drugs, vitamin A and reporting tools are delivered to health facilities. Delivery partners also support the distribution of supplies during supplemental immunization activities (SIA) and emergencies such as disease outbreaks.
According to Monsen Owusu-Aboagye, UNICEF Health Specialist, DRIVE represents a major step toward equity in healthcare delivery. “This is what health equity looks like in practice,” he explains. “The DRIVE initiative bridges the gap between policy and people. It ensures that no mother or child is left behind, no matter how far they live from a district store or hospital.”
Under DRIVE, 80 delivery partners have been trained and equipped with motorbikes, Android phones for reporting through the Open Data Kit (ODK), and rain gear, covering eight districts across Sierra Leone. The initiative also uses digital tools, including the and Thrive360Electronic Stock Management Tool (eSMT), to track vaccine availability in near real time, enabling swift replenishment and reducing waste.
Back at Kamawonie, Adama enters Abdulai’s vaccination details into her register before turning to Isatu with a reassuring smile. “He’s doing well,” she says. “Bring him back for his next vaccine when it’s time.”
Isatu nods, adjusting the baby in her arms. “I feel safe knowing my child was protected right after birth,” she says. “We are lucky the vaccines come to us now on time.”
Outside, as the hum of Yayah’s motorbike fades down the dirt road, Adama tidies the small vaccination room, her face lit with quiet satisfaction. For her, the DRIVE Initiative isn’t just a delivery system—it’s a lifeline that allows her to focus on what matters most: keeping mothers and babies healthy.
As she puts it simply, “When vaccines come to our doorstep, it means health has reached the people.”