Submitted
2025 Global Health Challenge

Ambucycle

Team Leader
Helen Gizachew
Ambucycle is a motorcycle-based emergency response service designed to reduce response times and save lives. Operated by trained healthcare professionals, each Ambucycle carries essential life-saving equipment like oxygen, trauma kits, and first aid supplies—arriving faster than traditional ambulances, especially in traffic or hard-to-reach areas. Users can request help through a mobile app or short USSD code, making it accessible even...
What is the name of your organization?
Ambucycle Ltd
What is the name of your solution?
Ambucycle
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Ambucycle cuts emergency response time from 2hrs to 8mins with life-saving motorbikes hailed via app, plus ambulance & hospital access.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Kigali, Rwanda
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
RWA
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Every year, over five million people die from violence and injury, while more than 100 million sustain injuries globally—surpassing deaths from HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. Alarmingly, 90% of these injury-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 1.1 billion people live, only 10% have access to emergency care, highlighting a critical gap in prehospital response systems. In Rwanda and across the region, emergency response times often exceed two hours, contributing to preventable deaths from road accidents, obstetric emergencies, and acute medical conditions. Yet, research shows that one in two deaths in low- and middle-income countries could be prevented with timely emergency intervention. Globally, 45% of deaths and 36% of all DALYs are due to conditions that could be mitigated with effective secondary prevention. Ambucycle addresses this gap by deploying trained healthcare professionals on motorcycles equipped with life-saving kits. These responders reach emergency scenes within minutes well before ambulances can delivering critical care that can stabilize patients and prevent deterioration. By integrating digital dispatch and real-time hospital data, we reduce time lost in locating help, ensuring faster, targeted responses. Our solution directly targets the delays that cause unnecessary suffering and death.
What is your solution?
Ambucycle is a motorcycle-based emergency response service designed to reduce response times and save lives. Operated by trained healthcare professionals, each Ambucycle carries essential life-saving equipment like oxygen, trauma kits, and first aid supplies—arriving faster than traditional ambulances, especially in traffic or hard-to-reach areas. Users can request help through a mobile app or short USSD code, making it accessible even without smartphones or internet. The app uses GPS to connect patients with the nearest available Ambucycle responder. It also allows users to request ambulances and view nearby hospitals with their services in real-time, helping them make informed decisions during emergencies. Ambucycle operates on a gig work model: ambulances, healthcare providers, and motorbike medics are onboarded onto the platform and respond to calls based on proximity and availability. This flexible system increases coverage and ensures rapid response in both urban and rural areas. The platform uses geolocation, routing algorithms, and real-time data sharing to ensure the fastest possible dispatch. We also monitor response metrics to improve efficiency and service quality. Ambucycle brings emergency care closer to people—bridging the gap between crisis and treatment with speed, accessibility, and reliability.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Our target population includes low- and middle-income individuals living in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas of Rwanda and Sub-Saharan Africa who currently lack timely access to emergency medical services. These communities often experience long response times, sometimes up to two hours, due to traffic congestion, limited ambulance fleets, and poor road infrastructure. As a result, they suffer from preventable deaths and disabilities caused by trauma, obstetric complications, and acute medical conditions. Many people in these settings cannot afford private emergency services or don’t have the means to reach healthcare facilities quickly. In rural areas, the situation is worse, with little to no access to ambulances and delayed care during critical moments. Ambucycle directly addresses these needs by deploying trained healthcare professionals on motorbikes equipped with life-saving tools. Our responders reach patients quickly and provide immediate prehospital care, stabilizing them until further treatment is possible. Through our app and USSD codes, people can easily request help, regardless of their access to smartphones or internet. By introducing a flexible gig model for responders, ambulances, and hospitals, we expand coverage, reduce delays, and ensure the underserved receive timely, affordable care, ultimately improving survival rates and health outcomes for the most vulnerable.
Solution Team:
Helen Gizachew
Helen Gizachew
Chief Operations Officer