In a remote village in Rwanda, a life-saving medicine delivery takes place. A drone, operated by Zipline; an American company that designs, manufactures, and operates delivery drones, navigates the skies, carrying vital medical supplies to a health centre inaccessible by road. This scene, once a distant dream, is now a daily reality, thanks to African-led health tech innovations.
Zipline’s drone delivery service has transformed healthcare in Rwanda, ensuring timely access to essential medicines and vaccines and has delivered over 10 million health products and 15 million vaccine doses. In Nigeria, Shelf Life, an inventory management and financing service from Field Intelligence, has transformed inventory management for community pharmacies. This service allows local pharmacies to maintain a diverse stock of genuine medicines affordably, crucial in a market where falsified drugs are rampant.
Community pharmacies, often the first point of care in low- and middle-income countries, usually have poor access to finance from traditional institutions. They resort to stocking only fast-moving drugs like antimalarials and antibiotics, leaving patients needing more specific treatments underserved. Shelf Life solves this by providing access to credit and genuine medications, ensuring pharmacies offer a wide range of essential medicines.
So far, they have helped over 3,200 pharmacies in Nigeria and Kenya, directly improving the health outcomes of over 1.5 million patients. Consider the .
