US startup Zipline has raised $190 million from investors. The money will be used to set up hubs at 2,600 healthcare facilities in Rwanda and Ghana where the company's drones can deliver goods.
This reports CNBC. Zipline is a startup that focuses specifically on transporting life-saving medical supplies to medical facilities in remote locations. The startup was founded in 2014 and is based in Half Moon Bay in the US state of California, where the company's technology is being tested. Zipline has distribution centres worldwide, managed by teams of local operators. By its own admission, the company gives 13 million people worldwide instant access to urgent medication.
Rwanda
The company has been operating in the African country of Rwanda since 2018. Zipline's drones transport up to 150 loads of blood for blood transfusions per day to medical facilities in the country. In doing so, the drones help address, among other things, maternal mortality, where the mother dies during or shortly after birth. World Health Organisation figures show that Africa has the highest maternal mortality rates from blood loss in the world.
In time, Zipline plans to use its drones to transport other goods in Rwanda. These include vaccinations and medication for HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other life-saving drugs.
Ghana
Zipline announced in April that it was expanding its operations to Ghana. The company's drones will deliver emergency orders of critical medical supplies to some 2,000 medical facilities here on orders. The focus will be on vaccinations. This is said to be the largest network of drones to deliver vaccinations in the world.
The drones operate from about four distribution centres, each equipped with 30 drones. These drones can be deployed 24 hours a day, seven days a week to bring urgently needed goods to the desired location in a short time. The 2,000 facilities served by these drones provide care to an estimated 12 million people.
Zipline's drone network is integrated into the regular supply chain for national healthcare in Ghana. Among other things, the drones should help address vaccine shortages at specific healthcare facilities quickly. The Ghanaian government also wants to use the drones to support national immunisation campaigns. Distribution using the drones is controlled by hardware and software systems at Zipline's four local distribution centres.
Collaboration with partners
Zipline is partnering with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and logistics company UPS on both projects. Gavi is an international organisation that unites public and private sectors with the aim of giving poor countries worldwide access to vaccines. The organisation is involved in Zipline from this role. UPS provides consultancy and advice to the startup as a partner.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source: Zipline
Source: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Source: UPS
