Today, VillageReach and Focusing Philanthropy launched a campaign to raise $2 million. The Drones for Health Deliver campaign aims to increase equitable access to health products and diagnostics for 700,000 people in hard-to-reach areas in Malawi and Mozambique via drone technology.
As part of its responsive supply chain solutions, VillageReach uses drones to leap-frog ground transportation barriers.
In Malawi, VillageReach and Swoop Aero will scale up the first national two-way drone delivery service in the world, expanding drone delivery from 25 to over 105 health facilities. Drones will also deliver medical products and pick up lab samples for testing for proper disease surveillance, contributing to a reduction in maternal and childhood disease as well as infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV, tuberculosis and COVID-19.
In Mozambique, Drones for Health will enable the daily pick-up of COVID-19 and other lab samples from rural hospitals in five hard-to-reach districts in Inhambane Province. The drones will supply life-saving products, including the COVID-19 vaccine when available.
From March 1 to December 31, 2021, Focusing Philanthropy will match donations of $1,000 or more, up to $1 million.
VillageReach’s Director of Health Systems and Drones for Health Lead Olivier Defawe recently kicked off the campaign in a presentation to donors. Watch the video below to learn more about this crucial work in health care access.
To donate to VillageReach and Focusing Philanthropy’s Drones for Health Deliver campaign: