GHANA – TheGhanaian government has launched new distribution centers for Zipline, the global leader in instant logistics, aimed at improving access to vital medical supplies through drone medical delivery services.

The 5th and 6th distribution centres for Zipline Ghana were commissioned at Anum and Kete Krachi to complement the other distribution hubs located in Omenako, Mpanya, Vobsi and Sefwi Wiawso.

The newly launched centres will serve all health facilities within the Afram Plains areas and many other hard-to-reach communities in remote areas ensuring almost total national coverage.

The established distribution hubs will further support Ghana on its mission to achieve Universal Healthcare Coverage.

The company also intends to start home delivery services before end of 2022 to leverage the country’s digitization drive to grow a viable healthcare system that enhances access and speedy dispensing of medical care irrespective of location.

The instant logistic provider partnered with Ghana in 2019 to launch a programme in the country for drone delivery of medical supplies to communities including those in remote areas where infrastructure presents challenges of access.

The collaboration has allowed Zipline to operate 30 drones out of four distribution centers in Ghana to distribute vaccines, blood and life-saving medications to 2,000 health facilities across the nation daily.

Zipline Ghana has so far made more than 2 million deliveries of life-saving medical supplies such as blood, anti-snake venom and PPEs with ease to government health facilities saving countless lives.

Additionally, Zipline’s drone deliveries across Ghana have addressed the challenges of travelling for vaccine inoculation and the delay in vaccine delivery in most part of the country to prevent avoidable deaths.

The company has also created numerous employment opportunities for people across the country specifically over 300 high quality jobs while distribution centres are manned 100% by Ghanaians.

The Country Manager of Zipline Ghana Naa Adorkor Yawson disclosed that a total of about 200,000 units of critical medical products have been distributed from the Anum and Kete Krachi Zipline distribution centres since December 2021.

Zipline services have been used to provide equal access throughout the country since the beginning of the Covid-19 immunization programme in March last year and the service has reached nearly one million people out of the reach of cities.

“We have enhanced Ghana’s vaccines distribution strategy through our safe network distribution centres by focusing on areas away from urban cities to guarantee fair and efficient delivery of the COVID-19 vaccines,” explained Madam Yawson.

She further stated that Zipline operations have contributed to improved maternal healthcare delivery leading to a decrease in child and maternal mortality from 875 maternal deaths in 2018 to 776 casualties in 2020.

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