Last Mile Healthcare Delivery by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Senegal

Daniel Pepper of Vayu in the U.S. will assess the value of using unmanned aerial vehicles integrated with existing healthcare supply chains to transport healthcare products and diagnostic samples in Senegal. Healthcare supply chains are critical for saving lives but are restricted by poor road infrastructure in developing countries. Unmanned aerial vehicles can overcome these restrictions and ensure rapid transport in temperature-controlled conditions. They will engage stakeholders from the Pharmacie National d'Approvisionnement (PNA) to National laboratories, the Expanded Program of Immunization, the National Blood Bank and the Ministry of Health to explore the feasibility of using unmanned aerial vehicles for delivering vaccines, essential medicines, contraceptive products and blood, and also to pick up tuberculosis samples for diagnosis. They will perform a test over a three- to four-month period to evaluate the impact of their approach on delivery and costs, and gather feedback from users.