Taxis Become Mobile Health Centers
One December afternoon in Brazzaville, twenty taxi drivers received prepaid fuel cards worth 15,000 CFA francs each, the tangible reward for an unusual competition that asked them to talk about diabetes between traffic lights rather than just counting passengers.
The initiative, dubbed Taxi Bomoyi – ‘life’ in Lingala – was designed by the non-profit organization Marcher, Courir pour la Cause with support from TotalEnergies and the municipal traffic authorities, transforming 347 taxis into classrooms for three weeks ahead of the holiday season in the Congolese capital.
Organizers argue that taxis, unlike clinics, reach citizens where they live and work, enabling frank conversations in the city’s vernacular languages about diet, exercise, and regular check-ups—themes often overshadowed by more visible campaigns on infectious diseases.
Professor Florent Kaba, an endocrinologist at the University Hospital Center of Brazzaville, praised the project, noting that diabetes prevalence has exceeded 6%, according to Health Ministry estimates, a figure he calls “likely underestimated in informal neighborhoods.”
A Public-Private Coalition Behind the Wheel
The project leader handed each winner the green and white card bearing the TotalEnergies logo, stating it “recognizes your willingness to carry a life-saving message and highlights how civil society, businesses, and workers can shape a Congolese model of solidarity.”
Drivers earned points when passengers sent a short evaluation via SMS after the ride, rating the clarity of information, courtesy, and accuracy of health advice. Results were compiled daily by volunteers using a simple spreadsheet shared with the municipal transport directorate.
Drivers and Passengers Share the Experience
Isaac Mbengui, ranked seventh, said he typically starts each ride by asking clients if anyone in their family has ‘the sugar disease,’ a widely understood colloquial term. “That question opens the door,” he laughed. “Then I offer water instead of soda and remind them that walking is free.”
For many participants, the fuel card matters less than the new identity they’ve gained. In the central district of Ouenze, several taxis now sport homemade stickers reading ‘Health Ambassador.’ Passengers, especially mothers with children, would choose these vehicles first, trusting the driver to offer reliable advice.
The TotalEnergies country director called the program “an illustration of our commitment to shared value.” He confirmed the fuel vouchers came from the company’s social impact budget, not the marketing allowance, and mentioned a possible extension to Pointe-Noire, where the firm operates a refinery.
Municipal authorities, for their part, see Taxi Bomoyi as complementary to the ongoing urban transport modernization policy announced earlier in the year. The policy promotes driver professionalization and cleaner fleets; adding a public health dimension, officials say, strengthens the sector’s social license.
Data, Technology, and Global Interest
Observers from the Brazzaville regional office of the World Health Organization followed several rides and expressed interest in replicating the model in other capitals along the Congo River. An internal note praises the campaign for “using existing transport networks to disseminate behavior-change communication at negligible marginal cost.”
The local startup HeLafi, creator of SMS dashboards for health campaigns, provided the short-code platform pro bono. The technical director said data shows passengers spend eleven minutes per trip, a window he deems “ideal for micro-learning when the message feels personal.”
The Health Ministry spokesperson praised the project’s “low-cost, high-touch” model but stressed that community efforts must align with national guidelines on non-communicable diseases. The ministry is preparing a revised strategic plan through 2030 that emphasizes lifestyle education in schools and workplaces.
The Path Forward for National Expansion
Congolese unions backed their members’ participation, noting that many taxi drivers themselves face increased diabetes risk due to sedentary jobs and irregular meals. Several drivers reportedly requested screening at clinics after delivering the messages, illustrating what experts describe as the feedback effect of peer education.
Funding for Marcher, Courir pour la Cause comes partly from small local donations collected during monthly runs along the Corniche and partly from a grant secured via the CEMAC Development Bank’s health innovation window, according to the executive director.
Asked about next steps, the director said the pilot generated a trove of anonymous passenger feedback that researchers from Marien Ngouabi University will analyze to determine which messages resonated most and how gender or age influenced receptiveness—findings that could shape wider deployments in 2024.
Meanwhile, the twenty winners display their certificates on their windshields, sometimes next to religious stickers and route licenses, creating a collage that quietly signals a new chapter in public engagement. Their vehicles, once anonymous yellow taxis, now carry the promise of conversation—and, perhaps, a healthier future.
As Brazzaville’s traffic pulses along Independence Avenue, a driver’s casual reminder to ‘drink water before soda’ blends into the city’s soundtrack, suggesting that in the Republic of Congo, the fight against non-communicable diseases can travel as fast as a metered ride.