Embrace Medical Drone Technology, Kenya Urged
Kenya’s health sector has been urged to embrace drone technology to improve access to life-saving medical supplies, especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
Rethinking Private Sector Engagement: A Response to the New Funding Landscape for Public Health
This blog is the first in a three-part series to engage stakeholders around our new position paper “Increasing Local Private Sector Engagement in LMIC Public Health Systems”. This in-depth paper identifies the need to integrate private sector Ecosystem Services & Products into public health...
Transport management is critical for efficient global supply chains
Transportation is a vital link in virtually all supply chains. How goods are moved and effective transport management play a critical role in the efficiency of global supply chains.
Unlocking Africa’s Skies: Bridging the Infrastructure Gap with Drones
(Originally posted on Drone Life) Africa’s infrastructure faces a $90 billion annual funding gap, hindering access to essential products and services. Bold, innovative ideas are needed to drive development and transform communities. Drone technology unlocks innovative opportunities. A drone can fly where roads do...
Next-gen drone innovations: Unexplored frontiers in South Africa’s skies
Skies in South Africa are turning into a living laboratory for next-generation drones, where pioneering advances in technology are pushing the boundary of what’s possible.
The Democratic Republic of Congo launches Congo Drone Académie
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (August 12, 2024) – Today, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) officially launched the Congo Drone Académie, a first of its kind training initiative for remote drone piloting at the National Institute of Professional Preparation (INPP) in Limete, Kinshasa....
La République démocratique du Congo lance officiellement la toute première académie drone, Congo Drone Académie
Kinshasa, République démocratique du Congo (12 Août 2024) – Aujourd’hui, la RDC (République démocratique du Congo) lance officiellement le Congo Drone Académie, une initiative démarrant la formation en télé pilotage des drones à l’INPP (Institut National de Préparation Professionnelle) à son Siège National à...
Drones optimise last-mile deliveries and healthcare access
Drone technology is revolutionising supply chains globally, delivering critical items such as medicines, mail, money, spare parts, and tissue samples. At the Sapics Conference in Cape Town, experts discussed how drones optimise supply chains for various commodities and expand healthcare access. They highlighted the...
Drones deliver medicine, mail, money and spare parts to hardest-to-reach locations
At the recent SAPICS Conference in Cape Town, Africa’s leading event for the supply chain profession, a panel of experts discussed the potential for drones to optimise supply chains for a wide range of commodities and expand healthcare access.
2024 SAPICS Conference - Drones Deliver Medicine, Mail, Money and Spare Parts to Hardest-to-Reach Locations
Drone technology is taking off and cargo drones are being used successfully in supply chains around the world, to deliver things ranging from critical medicines, mail and money to spare parts and tissue samples.
Drones Deliver Medicine, Mail, Money, and Spares
At the recent SAPICS Conference in Cape Town, Africa’s premier event for the supply chain profession, a panel of experts discussed the potential of drones to optimize supply chains across various commodities and enhance healthcare accessibility. Panelists at SAPICS 2024 elaborated on how drone...
Drones Deliver Medicine, Mail, Money, and Spares
At the recent SAPICS Conference in Cape Town, Africa’s premier event for the supply chain profession, a panel of experts discussed the potential of drones to optimize supply chains across various commodities and enhance healthcare accessibility. Panelists at SAPICS 2024 elaborated on how drone technology continues...
Drones deliver medicine, mail, money and spare parts to hardest-to-reach locations
Drone technology is taking off and cargo drones are being used successfully in supply chains around the world, to deliver things ranging from critical medicines, mail and money to spare parts and tissue samples.
Drones Deliver Humanitarian Aid in Africa
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are proving to be essential delivery vehicles for humanitarian aid and health supplies.
VillageReach Board Members Meet and Learn in the Warm Heart of Africa
This May I embarked, with fellow VillageReach board members, on a long-awaited journey to Malawi, and what a beautiful country it is. It’s no wonder Malawi is known as “The Warm Heart of Africa.” Although it had been eight years since I last visited...Background
Since 2018 VillageReach has tested the safety and feasibility of drone transport technologies and contributed to the evidence highlighting it’s benefits to health supply chains and health care systems. We are leveraging our expertise and experience to play a new role as a catalyst in shaping the market to accelerate the adoption of outsourced drone transport by both public and private sectors for health and non-health sectors, in turn making this mode of transport more cost-effective for public health supply chains.
VillageReach is conducting a market assessment as part of a market shaping strategy for countries looking at integrated outsourced drone in Africa. Contact Olivier Defawe, Director of Private Sector Engagement, to learn more olivier.defaware@villagereach.org.
VillageReach offers technical assistance and tools to governments, private sector (i.e. drone operator and OEM, logistic and supply chain firms) and technical partners to seamlessly integrate drone transport services into supply chains, ensuring rapid, on-demand and cost-effective delivery of health products.
How It Works
We offer three packages of technical assistance services.
For more information on these services please contact: Contact Olivier Defawe, Director of Private Sector Engagement, olivier.defaware@villagereach.org.
VillageReach founded and continues coordinating the UAV for Payload Delivery Working Group (UPDWG), a global community elevating drone delivery through knowledge sharing, capacity building, advocacy and partnerships.
Learn more: UAV for Payload Delivery Working Group (UPDWG) website
Resources
Financially Sustainable Drone Transport
Outsourced Logistics Gap Assessment
Drones for Health
Unlocking Opportunities Insights on Africa’s Outsourcing Landscape
Outsourced Drone Transport
Outsourced Transport Resource Center Services Sheet
Drones for Health: Speeding up Lab Sample Transport – ASLM Conference (Dec 2023)
Malawi drones for health randomised control trial: Baseline report
Drones on Demand: Malawi Process Evaluation Results – GHSC Summit (Nov 2023)
Optimizing Specimen Referral in Mozambique with Drones
Integrating Outsourced Transport: Supply Chain Toolbox Infographic
Innovations in Digitizing Health Supply Chains in Africa: Market Intelligence Report (July 2023)
Lessons learned in the transportation of healthcare products by drones
Endline performance and cost evaluation of medical drone deliveries in Equateur, DRC: November 2022
Partners
Government
- DRC
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Senegal
- Kenya
Technical Partners
- TA Partners: UNICEF, WFP, UNFPA, WEF, JSI, PATH
- Private Sector: AGL, DSV, UPS, Merck, J&J, Pfizer, Skyports, drone OEMs, etc.
Donors
- Gates Foundation
- GAVI
- Global Fund
- FCDO
- UPS Foundation
- World Bank
- USAID
Related Global Impact
See the latest updates from our work to improve access to quality healthcare in the world’s most underserved communities.