The Ministry of Health has commissioned a zipline factory to use drones to distribute blood products and vaccines to hospitals in Kisumu and Homa Bay counties.
Drone technology aims to reduce the time it takes to deliver life-saving medical products to remote areas from five hours to an average of 45 minutes, reducing the incidence of maternal deaths and malaria-induced anemia.
Speaking at the official launch of the service in Chemerir, Kisumu County, Ministry of Health Director-General Susan Nakmicha said the development was an important milestone in strengthening healthcare access and achieving universal health coverage.
“The launch of drone deliveries of blood and vaccines is a transformative moment for healthcare in Kenya.
“This technology has the potential to revolutionize access to critical medical supplies, especially in remote areas, and significantly reduce the burden of malaria,” she said.
Transporting blood and blood products to where they are needed faces significant hurdles due to complex supply chains, short shelf life, and fluctuating demand. This initiative aims to address these challenges.
Zipline takes a centralized inventory approach and implements on-demand delivery. This means healthcare facilities don't have to store blood, which quickly spoils, leading to less waste.
The company has partnered with the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service and Kisumu Regional Blood Transfusion Center to stock and deliver products quickly and efficiently.
Miki Sofer, Zipline's vice president of health partnerships, said the project will serve health facilities in Kisumu and Homa Bay counties in the first phase, before gradually expanding to the Lakes Region Economic Area (LREB). He said his goal is to do so.
“We are here to celebrate one of the many milestones brought about by our partnership with Kisumu County Government in reaching the hard-to-reach and enabling access to healthcare. This development coincides with World Malaria Day celebrations, and we have begun shipping vital life-saving blood and vaccines to curb the impact of severe malaria,” Sofer said.
The National Vaccine and Immunization Program (NVIP) has approved the distribution of vaccines, malaria testing and treatment kits. This highlights the importance of leveraging technology to control malaria mortality in the LREB region.
In a speech read on his behalf by Deputy Dr. Matthews Owiri, Governor Anyang Nyong’o said: The supply of medical supplies will play an important role. He praises the partnership with Zipline, which has already made more than 6,300 lifesaving deliveries since its founding in February 2023. ”
US-based company Zipline has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kisumu County to establish a regional logistics hub in Lakeside County in February 2023.
Since its inception, the company has successfully completed more than 6,300 commercial deliveries of life-saving medical supplies to more than 400 healthcare facilities.
Deliveries to these health facilities include medicines such as oxytocin, used to control hemorrhage during childbirth, snake antivenom, and anti-rabies vials used in snake and dog bite emergencies, respectively. It is.
Additionally, the Kisumu County Livestock Department is leveraging zipline drones to transport livestock semen for use in artificial insemination to veterinarians in remote areas to improve farmers' access to improved breeds and boost animal production. We are delivering.
In Africa, ziplines also operate in Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Tanzania.
Written by Robert Ojwan”
