Drones to help deliver medical supplies in Rwanda

World Today

Rwanda will become the first country in the world to use drones to deliver medical supplies.

It’s teamed up with an American company for the venture. The first deliveries are due begin in the next few months.

CCTV’s Michael Baleke reports.

It is a custom designed airplane called a Zip. It flies autonomously and can carry up to 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) of medicine to distances of over 120 km (74.56 mile).

The drones have been integrated in Rwanda’s national public health supply chain to deliver medical products to health care facilities in rural areas.

According to the World Health Organization, millions of mothers and children die every year due to conditions that could be prevented with access to simple, affordable medical intervention.

In the case of developing countries like Rwanda, this access is hampered by the lack of adequate transport infrastructure.

Rwanda has partnered with Zipline, a California based company to make the deliveries.

Together with Zipline, International Delivery Company UPS will provide $800,000 funding to the project that begins in August.

Zipline aims to make as many as 150 deliveries a day from its central base in western Rwanda to about 21 health facilities in phase one of the projects.

By 2017, the Kigali government hopes that every one of its 11 million citizens will be within range.