As the world continues its fight against the coronavirus pandemic, a cutting-edge delivery company is flying drones to the remotest corners of Ghana in West Africa to deliver thousands of COVID-19 vaccines.
The company aims to deliver 2.5 million doses, primarily covering the country’s rural population.
“In the morning, you walk to the centre, you know that exactly 130 people are here at this point in time. So we fly enough doses just for 130 people – it’s a very powerful thing to do. You didn’t forecast, you didn’t overestimate, you just sent what was needed, meaning that you are not wasting any doses,” Daniel Marfo, Zipline’s Senior Vice President in Africa said.
The maximum distance one of Zipline’s drones can travel is a total round-trip of 160 kilometers – 80 each way – with each leg taking a maximum of 55 minutes.
The average trip from the distribution center to the local health facility takes 30 to 40 minutes.
Zipline can have as many as 40 drones in the air at one time and each distribution center can cover up to 22,500 square kilometers.
The company currently provides between 750 and 800 remote health facilities with COVID vaccines in Ghana.
So far, they have delivered 24,990 doses.
