Drones Increasingly Being Used To Deliver, Deploy Medical Supplies, Public Health Interventions
PRI: To combat the spread of Zika, a nonprofit is using drones and sterile mosquitoes
“…In partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Insect Pest Control Lab in Vienna, Austria, WeRobotics is testing out [drone] technology and hopes to put it to use in Zika hotspots in Latin America. But releasing hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of mosquitoes comes with engineering challenges, [Patrick Meier, executive director and co-founder of WeRobotics,] says…” (Emmanouilidou, 11/30).
Wall Street Journal: In Rwanda, Drones Deliver Medical Supplies to Remote Areas
“…Several drone companies are using cutting-edge technology to deliver essential medical supplies to remote areas where people are isolated by rugged terrain, bad roads, and seasonal flooding — and, in the process, gaining experience that could be used for shipments in more densely populated places. … A San Francisco-based automated logistics firm called Zipline International Inc. is working with the Rwandan government to deliver blood and vaccines by drone on demand. The company plans to expand into Tanzania next year. Matternet Inc., based in Menlo Park, Calif., has run pilot projects in Haiti, Bhutan, and Papua New Guinea…” (Hotz, 12/1).
The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.