The East-African country Rwanda is seen as the most progressive nation in Africa nowadays, with an average growth of 7.3% since 2000 and one of the most advanced countries world-wide in terms of gender equality. The most progress can be seen in the capital city, Kigali, where more and more digital start-ups set up their base to a compromising path. Rural areas in Rwanda, however, have seen a slower progress, especially regarding infrastructure and healthcare. With maternal deaths and malaria-induced anaemia as being the top causes for death in Rwanda, blood transfusions are crucial for the patients to survive. In the past, the infrastructure, however, has allowed blood deliveries from the capital city to rural hospitals only to happen within a couple of hours – too long for many patients. (Zipline, 2018)
This is why the Silicon Valley robotics company Zipline got together with the Rwandan health ministry to improve chances of life of millions of Rwandans: Drone blood deliveries to 12 regional hospitals within a maximum of 30 minutes. Making it as easy as possible, rural hospitals can order blood via SMS or WhatsApp to Zipline’s base in the Eastern part of the country before the drones fly autonomously to the dedicated hospitals, dropping the blood with the help of small parachutes. With 5500 blood deliveries in Rwanda in 2017, Zipline currently plans to expand to Tanzania, the “world’s largest drone delivery network” (McVeigh, 2018). It also wants to start delivering antimalarials, HIV medication and other lifesaving medication in the coming year. (McVeigh, 2018)
The Zipline case shows: Technology has met national commitment to improve healthcare and provide access to health and medication to everyone. While most Western countries are still trying to figure out how to use their air space and overuse time in testing, Rwanda has shown the world how to save lives, today.
Zipline Inc (2018). Zipline — Our Impact — Thousands of units of blood have been delivered and every delivery has a story. [online] Available at: http://www.flyzipline.com/our-impact/ [Accessed 30 Sep. 2018].
McVeigh, K. (2018). ‘Uber for blood’: how Rwandan delivery robots are saving [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/jan/02/rwanda-scheme-saving-blood-drone [Accessed 30 Sep. 2018].
