This was revealed at the National Ghana Health Service Research Conference organised by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in partnership with Zipline.

The study, which focused on the impact of aerial logistics in healthcare, also noted a 19.9% increase in antenatal visits and a 25% rise in in-facility births, signaling a significant boost in maternal health outcomes.

The success according to the study is attributed to the on-demand availability of blood and essential medical supplies provided by Zipline’s innovative drone delivery system.

This consistent access to critical resources has increased patient confidence in the healthcare system, encouraging more mothers to seek necessary care throughout their pregnancies.

Speaking on the highlight of the study, the Research Officer at Ashanti Regional Health Directorate stated, “The significant decrease in maternal mortality we’ve seen is a clear indication of the vital role that reliable access to medical supplies plays in healthcare. The ability to deliver blood and essential medicines exactly when they’re needed has transformed how mothers in the Ashanti Region perceive and engage with the healthcare system.

It’s an achievement that speaks to the importance of introducing technology in healthcare delivery. Mothers now feel more confident in seeking care, knowing that they will receive the support they need throughout their pregnancies.”

The study examined data from 191 health facilities, including hospitals, health centers, and Community-based Health and Planning Services (CHPS) Compounds. Among these, 99 facilities were served by Zipline’s aerial logistics, while 91 were not.

The research employed adjusted rates for various key indicators, such as antenatal consultations, emergency visits, referrals, live births, hysterectomies, maternal deaths, and neonatal deaths, as the main dependent variables.

The qualitative aspect of the study aimed to describe and analyze the changes in satisfaction levels among healthcare providers and patients, perceived quality of care in maternal health and emergencies, and experiences related to the use of aerial logistics. In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 patients and 23 healthcare providers at the participating facilities.

Globally, maternal mortality remains a critical public health challenge, with stark disparities between high-income and low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the majority of maternal deaths occur in LMICs, often due to preventable causes. In Ghana, particularly in the Ashanti Region, the problem is critical, reflecting the broader challenges faced across the African continent.

Beyond this, socio-economic, geographic, and infrastructural factors intensify the risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth, highlighting the urgent need for innovative solutions to improve maternal health outcomes.

As maternal mortality continues to pose a challenge in low-to-middle-income countries, the success seen in Ghana’s Ashanti Region offers a promising model for other regions and nations striving to improve maternal health outcomes through innovative solutions.

Zipline is poised to continue leading the way in revolutionising healthcare delivery, ensuring that every mother has access to the life-saving resources, no matter where she lives.

Source: Zipline

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This partnership aims to increase blood supplies through a series of comprehensive initiatives, leveraging the strengths and reach of both organizations to save more lives.

Despite the importance of a reliable blood supply for effective healthcare delivery, recent data has revealed a troubling trend of low voluntary blood donations in Ghana.

In 2021, only 26% of the 173,938 units of donated blood were collected from the general public (as opposed to family members and immediate friends of the recipients), and in 2022, this percentage slightly decreased to 25.3% of the 179,765 blood donations.

To combat this issue, Zipline, as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts, has been actively working over the past several years to increase the availability of blood at various hospitals in the countries where it operates.

In 2023, for example, Zipline collaborated with the National Blood Bank in Ghana to organize 41 blood drives throughout Ghana, successfully collecting a total of 2,780 blood units.

Similarly, Zipline’s work with the Rwandan blood system has translated to a 55% reduction in maternal mortality, according to a study by The Wharton School.

“We are committed to addressing the critical blood supply needs in Ghana. Our partnership with CorpsAfrica will significantly amplify our efforts, enabling us to reach more communities and save more lives,” said Miki Sofer, Senior VP of Partnerships at Zipline.

Zipline and CorpsAfrica will collaborate with the National Blood Service to coordinate monthly blood drives at different locations nationwide.

This partnership aims to organize roughly 80 blood drives in 2024 – a substantial increase of more than 100% from what Zipline organized in 2023. The effort is expected to yield about 6,000 blood units.

“CorpsAfrica is thrilled to collaborate with Zipline on this vital initiative,” says Liz Fanning, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CorpsAfrica. “CorpsAfrica Volunteers across Ghana are eager to support these blood drives, enhancing sensitization campaigns, and mobilizing community support.”

The partnership looks forward to engaging community volunteers in various districts within the Zipline operational areas in Ghana (Omenako, Ashanti Mampong, Vobsi, Sefwi Wiawso, Anum and Kete Krachi) to actively participate in awareness campaigns aimed at promoting the importance of blood donation.

Church groups, schools, and members of local communities are largely targeted to participate in this exercise.

Beyond the blood drives, the partners will also conduct awareness programs and provide training to healthcare professionals on effectively utilizing different blood components, such as Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP), for specific medical situations.

By enhancing the understanding and awareness of Zipline and CorpsAfrica’s capabilities, more health facilities can leverage the support offered in accessing essential blood products when needed.

“We encourage everyone within the region to be on the lookout for our publicity materials announcing dates and locations for the next blood drive. Together, let’s work to make blood available to save the lives of those who need it the most,’’ said Sofer.

Zipline is the global instant logistics leader. Its purpose is to inspire possibility, transform systems and serve all people equally. Zipline designs, manufactures and operates the world’s largest automated on-demand delivery service, which to date has made more than 1,000,000 commercial deliveries containing more than ten million units of vaccines and other medical products, reducing delivery emissions up to 98 percent compared to traditional methods. Zipline is the trusted partner for governments, global brands and leading health care systems. For more information, visit flyzipline.com.

CorpsAfrica recruits and trains educated African youth as volunteers to live and work in rural, under-resourced communities in their own countries. Operating on the core belief that African youth are the Continent’s greatest resource, the organization places volunteers in remote communities for up to one year to facilitate small-scale, high-impact projects that are identified by the community, many of which are related to health, economic empowerment, and climate change. CorpsAfrica has hosted over 900 volunteers and operates in ten African countries. For more information, visit corpsafrica.org.

Artificial Insemination is a time-sensitive procedure, demanding that animals in estrus be inseminated within a strict 48-hour window is often threatened by the slowness, ineffectiveness, and labor-intensive nature of current distribution practices, causing delays that significantly undermine the breeding program’s success.

The partnership will leverage Zipline’s advanced drone technology to increase the availability of semen doses to up to 1000 doses per week.

This significant boost will enhance the insemination process, delivering efficiency in animals’ natural cycles and optimizing the breeding process.

Maame Esi Amoah, the fulfillment lead at Zipline Mpanya, shared her insights about the collaboration.

“At Zipline, we’ve always been at the forefront of leveraging technology for practical and impactful solutions. Extending our services to the agricultural sector, specifically to support pig farming in Ghana, is a proud milestone for us. In this partnership, we will receive products weekly and store them in our warehouse and incubator for safe delivery to the client. We believe this will improve breeding and showcase innovative livestock farming solutions”.

The swine semen, stored in cold-chain incubators, will be transported by drones with precision drop-off abilities to be accessed for insemination. This innovative method will reduce waste by enhancing semen viability and minimizing delivery times, in stark contrast to traditional methods of delivery.

According to the CEO of Piper Pretty, Isaac Asuboteng, Artificial insemination has emerged as the most practical and efficient technique for genetic crossbreeding and would help the industry’s evolving demands.

“This collaboration with Zipline is a game-changer for us in Pig farming in Ghana. By enhancing the pig production process, we’re improving efficiency and revolutionizing the entire industry. The use of drone technology in delivering swine semen is a significant step forward in ensuring the timely and effective breeding of pigs. Previously, our weekly delivery was 50 doses of semen, but with the Zipline drone delivery, we can reach all catchment areas and do 700 to 1,000 doses of delivery per week. This increase will significantly have economic benefits and ensure that farmers receive optimal value for their products” he said.

Zipline’s initiative is seen as a part of the broader projection towards precision agriculture, where technology is used to increase efficiency and output in farming. Ghana’s pig farming sector is poised to see a steady and superior supply of swine semen for genetic crossbreeding via drone operations.

This is expected to lead to enhanced breed quality and increased meat production, thereby strengthening food security.

The facility, one of three to be built, is situated at Ndok community within the Ogoja LGA in Cross River State.

The facility, resulting from a partnership between Zipline and the government of the Cross River State, is similar to that which was recently commissioned in Kaduna State to ensure logistics and medical supplies like vaccines, blood, and pharmaceuticals reach communities within shorter periods compared with the existing means of deliveries.

At the commission of the facility, the Governor of the Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, said it has become necessary to attain health coverage for all; the reason why the State Government is leveraging Zipline’s innovative technologies to enable equity in medical care, especially for low-income earners.

Prof Ayade noted that the operation of the Ndok facility would serve as a storage and fulfilment hub for vaccines and other medical essentials, serving as the key supplier of medical commodities making deliveries to over 300 health facilities in Obaliko, Obudu, Obura and other surrounding towns and villages.

“Let me, on behalf of the entire people of Cross River State, thank you for bringing this intervention to our State. Your technology is an innovation that has come to save lives, and as a state, we’ll continue to work assiduously to make sure the company strives. The lives of our people are now in good hands because of what I’ve seen here today. I can confidently say that we’re very close to achieving universal health coverage. Be assured of maximum security, a peaceful working environment and a continuous synergy even with the next administration.” – Governor Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade said.

Prof. Ben Ayade, added that “the facility is expected to deliver medical supplies reliably anywhere across the state because the drones can geolocate with 99.9% precision making it possible to complete travel autonomously”. He further assured the people that the presence of Zipline would bring a drop in mortality rate and reduce health complications resulting from snake bites, child diseases and malaria.

The distribution centre is the first of three centres scheduled to be built in the state and will serve as the key supplier of medical commodities to several health facilities in the State for the speedy dispensing of medical care. Since operations began in Kaduna State in August 2022, Zipline has made successful deliveries to several health facilities, saving several lives.

In her remarks, Madam Catherine Odiase, Zipline General Manager, said, “One of the unique features of Zipline operations is the capacity of the drone technology to deliver medical supplies under any weather conditions instantly. Suppose a child in an area like Bekwarra needs medical attention, but the health facility lacks the required medical product, the facility can contact Zipline, and delivery would be made to save that child’s life within minutes “.

She emphasised that “Zipline’s technology is simple, reliable, and fast technology and will help reduce the mortality rate in the state and provide quality health care services for all persons.”

Zipline, the global leader in instant logistics deliveries, has become a household name for immediate transport of medical logistics, averaging a delivery every two minutes since it commenced operations in 2016.

The State has over 100 hard-to-reach settlements where many indigenous people struggle to access critical health logistics. The facility will provide timely access to drugs, vaccines and other medical products all year round, breach access barriers and provide employment opportunities for the citizens.

According to them, Zipline has positively impacted the lives of residents.

The residents say in some remote areas of the Oti Region, the services of Zipline have made it very easier for them to have access to medications, especially anti-snake drugs which would formally have taken several days or weeks to get to their communities due to the long distance and the bad roads.

The Krachi West Municipal Health Director, Victor Ahiabah, praised Zipline for its impact on healthcare delivery across the country through its timely and innovative instant delivery services via drones to about 2,421 health facilities, especially the Oti Region.

He noted that prior to the services of Zipline, there were a lot of issues with regard to delays in medical suppliers to the municipality, especially during emergency issues in the health centres.

 Mr Ahiaba noted that since the introduction of Zipline, they have been able to have consistent medical suppliers within five minutes, anytime the various health centres sent requests to the facility for medications.

Abigail Kwao and Barbara Sam, nurses at the Chantai and Adonten Cement health centres, say Zipline’s medical drone delivery services are an amazing intervention that ensures timely medical supplies to the health facilities.

Mr Victor Ahiaba noted that the lives of many patients have been saved by the multiple units of blood delivered through Zipline’s timely response by drone delivery.

“The impact of Zipline services has been that of a good intervention; because without some of the products from Zipline, which have always been timely, we can’t attend to our patients with what we need to treat them. The problem is that we don’t always have supplies in stock because of some impediments but with using Zipline services the supplies come in time to help us,” he said.

“There was an emergency case in our maternity ward when a pregnant woman came in with ectopic pregnancy for which the doctors needed more blood supplies for the patient. We had only one unit of blood available and so had to call Zipline for more. We received three drone deliveries of blood, which helped in saving the woman’s life,” he added.

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Zipline and Jumia join forces to pioneer drone delivery across Africa

Bawumia Commissions two drone distribution centres [Photos]

Since establishing itself in Ghana in 2019, Zipline Ghana has expanded from one distribution hub to six hubs in remote areas of the country, making Ghana home to the world’s largest fleet of medical-delivery drones.

Zipline delivers up to four pounds (1.8kg) of medical commodities to remote clinics and hospitals within an 80-kilometre radius from each distribution hub within minutes.

The Team Lead for Oti Region, Micheal Kwaku commended the government of Ghana for its partnership and support in helping transform healthcare delivery in Ghana.

He noted that the services of Zipline in the communities have brought so much relief to the residents making it a fulfilling moment for the organization

Micheal Nukpui noted that Zipline serves the whole of the Oti Region and makes sure that the communities have positive impacts from their services, especially in regard to the blood drive outreach in the various communities.

He noted that schools have also started benefiting from their services by organizing educational outreach from schools in the region as well as public health events for the communities to help the residents have in-depth knowledge about their services.

Since its introduction in 2019, Zipline’s innovative instant delivery services have made over 12 million deliveries comprising medical commodities, routine vaccines, COVID-19 samples and vaccines, and blood products – fortifying Ghana’s position as the hub of the world’s largest drone medical delivery service.

The work of Zipline from April 2019 to date includes delivering some 8.63 million lifesaving medical products or medicines, about 1.9 million child immunization vaccine consumables, and over 1.4 million COVID-19 vaccines and PPEs.

It has also made about 10,000 deliveries of blood products across the country.

Pilot program and testing were launched a few months ago in Ghana.

The collaboration will integrate Zipline’s automated, on-demand delivery system with Jumia’s existing distribution network to enable customers to receive instant, on-demand delivery of exactly the products they want, exactly when they want them and from the comfort of their homes.

“Using the latest instant logistics technology will allow Jumia to offer our consumers on-demand delivery of the products they need – instantly. Whether they’re ordering electronics, fashion, health, and beauty, or other categories, Zipline’s instant logistics system will provide fast and convenient access. This will support Jumia’s commitment to sustainability and innovation and provide much-needed access to rural and remote areas where conventional delivery services have challenges” Apoorva Kumar, EVP Jumia, Group COO said.

An initial pilot was carried out across multiple use cases with varying product assortment logging up to 2,500km in testing. Deliveries to outlying Jumia hubs as far as 85km from the take-off location at the Zipline operational hub in Omenako (Ghana) were completed in less than 1h with real time visibility of the drone for all stakeholders in the delivery cycle. Eventual plans call for expansion to Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria, and ultimately to other countries in the future.

“Zipline is pleased to partner with Jumia to use instant logistics to improve the lives of customers across Africa. This collaboration will increase access to goods for customers and help small and medium sized businesses grow. Zipline’s safe and efficient instant logistics system will make shopping on Jumia even more convenient, sustainable and accessible for its customers”, Daniel Marfo, SVP – Zipline Africa said.

Jumia’s logistics network includes 30+ warehouses and 3,000+ drop-off stations and pick-up stations, located across Jumia’s 11-country market. In 2020, Jumia announced that its logistics service would now be available to third parties seeking to leverage the network, technology, and expertise for last-mile deliveries across its 11 countries in Africa.

Zipline’s instant logistics system, on the other hand, is made up of a world class autonomy platform, fleet of light, electric aircraft, and flight management systems that reduce green-house gas emissions by 98% compared to delivery by car. This system is designed to enable all consumers, from the most urban to the most remote, to access the products they need in 45-minutes or less while reducing the carbon emissions of last-mile delivery up to 98% compared to traditional cars.

Jumia’s partnership with Zipline is part of its commitment to providing affordable and eco-friendly delivery of online orders for consumers. In addition to its partnership with Zipline, Jumia works with Solar Taxi in Ghana and eBee in Kenya to achieve a fully green footprint using clean and sustainable renewable energy

About Jumia

Jumia is the leading e-commerce platform in Africa. It is built around a marketplace, Jumia Logistics, and JumiaPay. The marketplace helps millions of consumers and sellers to connect and transact. Jumia Logistics enables the delivery of millions of packages through our network of local partners. JumiaPay facilitates the payments of online transactions for Jumia’s ecosystem. With over 1 billion people and 500 million internet users in Africa, Jumia believes that e-commerce is making people’s lives easier by helping them shop and pay for millions of products at the best prices wherever they live. E-commerce is also creating new opportunities for SMEs to grow, and job opportunities for a new generation to thrive.

About Zipline

Zipline is the global instant logistics leader. Our purpose is to inspire possibility, transform systems and serve all people equally. We design, manufacture and operate the world’s largest automated, on-demand delivery service, which to date has made more than 370,897 commercial deliveries containing more than five million units of vaccines and other medical products, reducing delivery emissions up to 98 percent compared to traditional methods. Zipline is the trusted partner for governments, global brands and leading healthcare systems.

He is joining Zipline from AstraZeneca, where he was the Ghana Country Lead and has had over 15 years of multi-sectoral wealth of experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry, stretching across various business development functions.

In the various positions he has held over the years, Mawuli Atiemo has demonstrated rare leadership responsibility, including building and developing talents, managing high-performing teams, and developing and increasing sales.

Through his leadership as Sales Manager in 2017 with AstraZeneca, the team he headed delivered the 2018 budget with strong double-digit growth and won the Best Sales Team in Sub Saharan Africa for 2018, Best Sales Manager Award for Sub Saharan Africa, and Circle of Excellence MEA (Middle East Africa) winner.

He played a core role in AstraZeneca Sub Saharan Africa’s (SSA) growth, leading both business and the company’s strategic objective and driving the execution of Ghana’s sales and marketing initiatives.

His valued contribution to the business has been recognized at both AstraZeneca African Cluster and Middle East Africa (MEA) Level.

Mawuli’s appointment comes at a time when the successes of Zipline in Ghana has largely been said to be the driver of Zipline’s rapid expansion into countries like Nigeria, Kenya, the USA, Japan and Cote D’Ivoire.

In Ghana, Zipline commenced operations in April 2019 from one distribution centre in Omenako and has expanded to six operational hubs, serving over 2500 health facilities with an average daily delivery of 250 medical commodities per distribution centre.

To help assuage obvious access challenges in the health sector, the government of Ghana has made several investments to mitigate the challenges associated with access to universal health coverage.

In 2019 when the Global challenges of Covid-19 hindered the even distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, Zipline’s robust system became a critical special purpose vehicle for the government’s vaccine inoculation drive.

Within minutes, several health facilities and inoculation centres were linked to vaccines and PPEs faster than known traditional logistics delivery methods.

Not only did vaccine stockout reduce significantly, but there was also a substantial increase in the types of medicines and supplies stocked at health facilities. This culminated in Ghana recording no Covid-19 vaccine expiration, largely due to the even distribution across the country.

Recently, the company has supported the Ghana Health Services to distribute 334,276 tablets of ivermectin to selected communities in the Ejura Sekyedumase, Sekyere Central, and Offinso North Districts, as part of an annual campaign of mass ivermectin tablets administration targeted at reducing the incidence of Onchocerciasis an infectious and parasitic disease categorized under Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

These impressive efforts in using technology to disrupt how instant deliveries are made via drone have not gone unnoticed.

The company has received the U.S. Department of State’s Awards for Corporate Excellence (ACE) and has been recognised as the World’s biggest drone delivery network.

Ghana, of course, is currently the country with the largest national-scale drone delivery system globally. The government of Ghana is saving lots of money as drug expiries due to over-stocking by health facilities are significantly reducing as Zipline now plays the role of an even distributor in times of need.

Referrals, due to the non-availability of medical commodities, are reducing very fast within the operational communities of Zipline.

As the General Manager, he will oversee the day-to-day operations of the company, responsible for developing strategic plans for increasing profitability and developing business relations for business growth and look to foster good working relations with all stakeholders, including the government of Ghana.

These initial flights mark the final stage of integration with the local health systems and validation with the regulatory authorities.

Zipline and the Kaduna State Government expect to deliver medical supplies to hundreds of health facilities to help create a more agile, responsive and accessible health system, subject to final regulatory approval.

“Zipline has a proven track record of health system transformation,” said Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai.

“Today, we’re making our first flights to pave the way toward bringing this proven service to Kaduna State. We are proud to be the very first state in Nigeria to adopt this innovative supply chain to support our efforts in healthcare delivery. Zipline’s system is a powerful next step in Kaduna State’s ongoing efforts to create a smarter, stronger health system that better serves everyone in our state.”

Zipline will operate three distribution centres across the state, covering an area of 46,000 square kilometres and delivering to approximately 500 health facilities serving millions of people. The company will begin by delivering more than 200 different medical products, including medicines and routine vaccines, with plans to expand to more soon. Zipline will bring its proven COVID-19 vaccine distribution model to Nigeria. The company and its partners pioneered this model with the Government of Ghana; to date, they have successfully delivered more than 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccines across the country.

“Investment in the supply chain makes health systems more efficient, effective and equitable,” said Amina Mohammed Baloni, Health Commissioner of Kaduna State. “Today’s flights are an important step toward ensuring people across Kaduna State have access to the care they need, precisely when and where they need it to drive better health outcomes and foster healthier communities.”

Today marks Zipline’s first deliveries in Nigeria, home to both the largest economy and population on the continent.

Its operation will begin with test flights delivering medical supplies to health facilities as part of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s final approval process. Regular commercial operations in Kaduna State are expected to begin later this month, and the company has also signed agreements with a number of other states that it plans to launch later this year.

“Instant logistics enables governments and health systems to optimize their supply chains and reimagine how care is delivered,” said Daniel Marfo, Senior Vice President of Africa at Zipline.

“Today’s flights mark one more step toward unlocking these benefits for millions more people, and bringing us one step closer to effective, agile systems that better serve all people.”

Zipline has a demonstrated track record of working with governments and health systems to transform health supply chains to be more efficient, accessible and sustainable.

A recent independent study, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, showed Zipline’s instant logistics system has significantly increased the availability, reliability and range of inventory at health facilities in Ghana by addressing supply chain challenges.

“With more than 315,000 commercial deliveries worldwide, Zipline has built an impressive record of safe, reliable, impactful service,” said Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, Lifetime Goodwill Ambassador of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and former President of ICAO Council. “Soon, the company is expected to bring this game changing service to millions more people, and bring us one step closer to a world where anyone can get whatever they need, whenever and wherever they need it.”

Today’s flights were made possible through Zipline and Kaduna State’s collaboration with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency and the International Civil Aviation Organization. Nigeria marks Zipline’s third country of operation in Africa following national-scale operations in Ghana and Rwanda, and its fifth globally.

About Zipline

Zipline is the global instant logistics leader. Our purpose is to inspire possibility, transform systems and serve all people equally.

We design, manufacture and operate the world’s largest automated on-demand delivery service, which to date has made more than 315,000 commercial deliveries containing more than five million units of vaccines and other medical products, reducing delivery emissions up to 98 percent compared to traditional methods.

Zipline is the trusted partner for governments, global brands and leading health care systems. For more information, visit flyzipline.com.

ABOUT THE NEW SERVICE

The revolutionary new service is part of the Government of Kaduna State’s bold vision of using instant aerial logistics to establish universal, seven-days-a-week access to lifesaving and critical medicines for most of its citizens over the coming years. Zipline drones will make on-demand and emergency deliveries of blood products, vaccines, and life-saving medications. 

The Government of Kaduna State’s vision is for Zipline to establish three  distribution centres, which are capable of covering most parts of the state. The government’s goal is to put almost all of its citizens within minutes of a lifesaving medical delivery by drone.

THE PROBLEM

Throughout the world, access to life-saving and critical health products for billions of people is hampered by the last-mile problem: the inability to deliver needed medicines and vaccines due to lack of adequate transportation, communication, or supply chain infrastructure. Too often this results in unequal access to healthcare and healthcare outcomes, avoidable stockouts, and costly product waste across healthcare systems.

A NEW SOLUTION

To increase access and reduce medical waste, key stock of blood products, vaccines and life-saving medications will be stored at Zipline’s distribution centres for just-in-time delivery. Health workers will place orders by text message or call and promptly receive their deliveries exactly when and where they need them in 30 minutes on average.

The drones both take off from and land at Zipline’s distribution hub, requiring no additional infrastructure or manpower at the clinics they serve. The drones fly autonomously and can carry 1.8 kilos of cargo, cruising at 110 kilometres an hour, and have a round trip range of 160 kilometres – even in high speed winds and rain.

Deliveries are made from the sky, with the drone descending to a safe height above the ground and releasing a box of medicine by parachute to a designated spot at the health centres it serves.

HOW ZIPLINE WORKS

Each week, a single Zipline distribution centre – a combination of medical fulfilment warehouse and drone airport – is capable of the microtargeted delivery of more than two tons of temperature-controlled medicine to any point across an almost 20,000 square km service area.

Each aircraft can fly 160 km round trip, in strong winds and rain, day or night, to make on-demand deliveries in 30 minutes on average. Zipline’s drones have flown  18 million autonomous miles to deliver millions of doses of vaccines, units of blood, and critical and life-saving medications to thousands of health facilities serving more than 25 million people across three countries.

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