Taxis become mobile health hubs
On a December afternoon in Brazzaville, twenty taxi drivers received pre-paid fuel cards worth 15,000 CFA francs each, the tangible prize of an unusual contest that asked them to talk about diabetes between traffic lights rather than simply counting passengers.
The initiative, branded Taxi Bomoyi — “life” in Lingala — was designed by the non-profit Marcher, Courir pour la Cause with support from TotalEnergies and municipal traffic authorities, converting 347 cabs into classrooms for three weeks during the run-up to the season across the Congolese capital.
Organisers argue that taxis, unlike clinics, reach citizens where they live and work, permitting frank conversation in the city’s vernaculars about diet, exercise and regular check-ups, themes often overshadowed by more visible infectious-disease campaigns.
Professor Florent Kaba, endocrinologist at the University Hospital of Brazzaville, welcomed the project, noting diabetes prevalence has edged above 6 percent, according to Health Ministry estimates, a figure he calls “probably underestimated in informal settlements”.
Public-private coalition behind the wheel
Princia Oponguy, project lead, handed each laureate the green-and-white card emblazoned with the TotalEnergies logo, declaring that it “recognises your willingness to carry a life-saving message and underscores how civil society, business and workers can craft a Congolese model of solidarity”.
Drivers earned points when passengers texted a short evaluation after the ride, rating clarity of the briefing, courtesy, and accuracy of the health tips. Results were tallied daily by volunteers using a simple spreadsheet shared with the municipal transport directorate.
Drivers and passengers share the experience
Isaac Mbengui, who placed seventh, said he typically began each trip by asking clients whether anyone in their family had “sugar disease,” a colloquial term widely understood. “That question opens the door,” he laughed. “Then I propose water instead of soda and remind them walking is free.”
For many participants, the fuel card matters less than the new identity they have acquired. In central Ouenze district, several cabs now display homemade stickers reading “Ambassadeur Santé”. Passengers, especially mothers with children, reportedly choose those vehicles first, trusting the driver to offer reliable advice.
TotalEnergies country manager Guy Kinfoussia called the programme “an illustration of our commitment to shared value”. He confirmed that the fuel vouchers come from the company’s social-impact budget, not marketing allocation, and hinted at possible expansion to Pointe-Noire, where the firm operates a refinery.
Municipal authorities, for their part, view Taxi Bomoyi as complementary to the ongoing urban transport modernisation policy announced by Mayor Dieudonné Bantsimba earlier this year. The policy promotes professionalisation of drivers and cleaner fleets; adding a public-health dimension, officials say, strengthens the sector’s social licence.
Data, technology and global interest
Observers from the World Health Organization’s Brazzaville regional office monitored several rides and expressed interest in replicating the model in other capitals along the Congo River. An internal note seen by this newspaper commends the campaign for “leveraging existing transport networks to diffuse behaviour-change communication at negligible marginal cost.”
Local start-up HeLafi, builder of SMS dashboards for health drives, provided the shortcode platform pro bono. CTO Hervé Nkoua said data show riders spend eleven minutes per trip, a window he deems “ideal for micro-learning when the message feels personal.”
Health ministry spokesperson Irène Lekoundzou praised the project’s “low cost, high contact” model but cautioned that community efforts must be aligned with national guidelines on non-communicable diseases. The ministry is preparing a revised strategic plan through 2030 that emphasises lifestyle education in schools and workplaces.
Road ahead for nationwide expansion
Congolese labour unions supported their members’ participation, noting that many taxi operators themselves face elevated diabetes risk due to sedentary shifts and irregular meals. Several drivers reportedly sought screening at clinics after delivering 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 fun-runs along the Corniche and partly from a grant secured through the CEMAC Bank of Development’s health-innovation window, according to executive director Rodrigue Dinga Mbomi.
Asked about next steps, Mbomi said the pilot generated a trove of anonymised passenger feedback that researchers at Marien Ngouabi University will analyse to determine which messages resonated most and how gender or age influenced receptiveness, findings that could shape wider roll-outs in 2024.
Meanwhile, the twenty winners display their certificates on windshields, sometimes alongside devotional stickers and route licenses, creating a collage that quietly signals a new chapter in public engagement. Their vehicles, once anonymous yellow, now carry the promise of conversation—and, perhaps, healthier futures.
As Brazzaville’s traffic pulses through Avenue de l’Indépendance, a driver’s casual reminder to “drink water before the soda” slips into the city’s soundtrack, suggesting that in the Republic of Congo, the fight against non-communicable diseases can travel as swiftly as a metered fare.