Rwanda: Using Innovation through Drones to Save Lives
Video produced by Zipline. 2016.
Africa: Govt Closer to Using Drones in Medical Supplies Delivery
Published on May 15, 2016 at 7:32 pm in All Africa by Julius Bizimungu
Article retrieved from:
Zipline
Inc, a California-based robotics firm Friday announced details of a
partnership with Government to make on-demand deliveries of life-saving
medical products using drones.
This follows a deal
signed in February, between the government and the firm to build
infrastructure for unmanned aerial system (UAS) to ensure efficient
logistical transportation of medical supplies in the country.
Speaking during a
press briefing, the Minister for Youth and ICT, Jean-Philbert
Nsengimana, said that Rwanda is ready to receive the first delivery of
drones.
"We have had a
fruitful and a fun-filled week talking about the forth industrial
revolution at the World Economic Forum (WEF). I think it's very
significant for people to know that what they might think will be
achieved in future, is already here in Rwanda. We already have the
technology that people think we will have in the future. Rwanda is ready
to receive the network of drones, and I truly believe this is going to
shape the future," Nsengimana noted.
Challenges
Often, essential health products don't reach the people who urgently need them.
According to the
World Health Organisation (WHO), millions of mothers and children die
every year due to conditions that could be prevented or treated with
access to simple, and affordable medical interventions.
However, in the
developing world, access to these interventions is hampered by what is
known as the last-mile problem: the inability to deliver needed medicine
from a city to rural or remote locations due to lack of adequate
transportation, communication and supply chain infrastructure.
The distribution of
blood products is particularly challenging given the strict temperature
requirements and short shelf life. Africa has the highest rate of
maternal deaths in the world, mainly due to post partum hemorrhaging,
which makes access to lifesaving blood transfusions critically important
for women across the continent.
In Rwanda, rural
hospitals have struggled with supplies in the past due to their isolated
locations. Most life-saving supplies are currently delivered via
motorcycles. According to Dr Agnes Binagwaho, the Minister for Health, the initiative is truly a life-saving technology. "We have
established that if we manage to use this technology, it will be a
life-saving initiative. There are a lot of advantages, but I'm also
hopeful that as pioneers we learn by doing. Although, I can't predict
how many lives will be saved, even saving one life is crucial," she
said.
What Zipline is bringing
According to Keller
Rinaudo, Zipline Chief Executive Officer, the company is working with
the government of Rwanda to create a network of delivery drones that
will ferry medical supplierding to the World Health Organisation (WHO),
millions of mothers and children die every year due to conditions that
could be prevented or treated with access to simple, and affordable
medical interventions.
However, in the
developing world, access to these interventions is hampered by what is
known as the last-mile problem: the inability to deliver needed medicine
from a city to rural or remote locations due to lack of adequate
transportation, communication and supply chain infrastructure.
The distribution of
blood products is particularly challenging given the strict temperature
requirements and short shelf life. Africa has the highest rate of
maternal deaths in the world, mainly due to post partum hemorrhaging,
which makes access to lifesaving blood transfusions critically important
for women across the continent.
The network will have capacity to make 50 to 150 deliveries per day,
using a fleet of 15 drones, each with twin electric motors and an almost
eight-foot wingspan. The unmanned drones will use GPS to navigate, and
will airdrop supplies before returning to the landing strip from which
they were launched.
"The inability to
deliver life-saving medicines to the people who need them the most
causes millions of preventable deaths each year. Zipline will help solve
that problem once and for all. We've built an instant delivery system
for the world, allowing medicines and other products to be delivered
on-demand and at a low-cost, anywhere," said Rinaudo.
Starting July, the
government will begin a public-private partnership with Zipline for the
last-mile delivery of all blood products throughout the country. A team
of Rwandan and American engineers will set up and operate Zipline's
first Hub in Muhanga District. From this Hub, Zipline will deliver
life-saving blood to 21 facilities located in the Northern, Western, and
Southern Provinces.
Zipline plans to
expand services to Eastern Province in early 2017, putting almost every
one of Rwanda's 11 million citizens within range of lifesaving medical
product deliveries.
The partnership will strengthen ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Health to deliver a high standard of health care.
