The bus is part of a free transport service organized by the United Nations Population Fund and Madagascar’s Ministry of Health. On March 23, President Andry Rajoelina ordered a four-week lockdown in two cities — Antananarivo and Taomasina — as Covid-19 spread in the East African country. As a result, public transport was not allowed. The bus service launched April 15 in both cities, picking up and dropping off pregnant women at their hospitals so that they can access effective medical care during the lockdown. The buses have designated meeting points where mothers are picked up and taken to their various hospitals. However, during emergencies, like a pregnant woman going into labor, the bus goes directly to her house. Free transport is not the only service being provided to pregnant women. They are also given delivery kits containing essentials like soap, towels, and baby clothes.
SOURCE: CNN
