The health-tech drone-delivery company, Zipline International, has affirmed Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s claim that Ghana has the largest network of autonomous drones in the world.
Zipline, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service, has completed 540,000 drone deliveries, reaching over 17 million Ghanaians.
The five year partnership impacted the delivery of essential medical products, especially emergency blood for mothers in critical condition after childbirth, vaccines for children in remote communities, and anti-snake venom.
Many Ghanaians in remote areas have had to bear the brunt of limited access to health care characterized by untimely service delivery, lack of logistics and essential healthcare medications.
In 2019, the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service sought to mitigate the situation by partnering with Zipline and Gavi for on-demand, instant aerial delivery of medications.
The partnership has extended the country's cold chain, allowing for on-demand deliveries and reducing missed opportunities for essential medication delivery.
This initiative has significantly improved access to essential medical supplies, particularly in remote and underserved areas of the country.
Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, recently highlighted the transformative impact of the medical drone delivery system, asserting Ghana now has the biggest network of autonomous drones in the world.
Vice President for Zipeline International- Africa, Daniel Armah Blay, says ZipeLine drone services have bridged the gaps in health care and quality healthcare delivery.
“Missed opportunities frequently happen due to vaccine stockouts and have devastating public health consequences. In 2023, Zipline's 4,980 units of snakebite antivenom delivered to 227 facilities prevented death or illness from complications for thousands of people.
"In 2023, Zipline delivered a total of more than 12 million doses of animal health vaccines as either part of regular vaccination campaigns or emergency outbreak response. Rural districts received 30% more vaccines from Zipline than less remote regions,” he said.
Mr. Armah Blay was speaking at the launch of a report on the impact of Zipline's services over the past five years.
Zipline-Ghana distributes vaccines, blood and blood products, essential medicines and diagnostic specimens to over 2,500 health facilities.
The Zipline-Ghana and national-scale medical drone delivery system operates from six distribution centres which covers 13 out of Ghana's 16 regions.
Over 14 million vaccine doses have been delivered by drone across Ghana, including vaccines for yellow fever, measles and rubella, and polio.
Zipline deliveries extended impact into the education sector, delivering almost 500 examination papers to students in areas cut off by flooding, enabling them to take their tests on time.
Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, says Zipline has played an essential role in innovative logistics delivery in public health and education emergencies.
“Zipline's rapid and effective distribution in response to the outbreak of Anthrax exemplifies the critical role of innovative logistics in public health emergencies. Zipline's delivery of WAEC's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) materials to Anyinofi in the Sekyere Afram Plains, Ashanti region, in 2023 and 2024 also had a significant positive impact on the local students and their families.
“By ensuring timely and equitable access to examination papers, Zipline played a crucial role in levelling the educational playing field for rural students, enhancing their academic experience, and supporting the community's overall well-being,” he said.
Credit: Clinton Yeboah