How drones are delivering lifesaving medical supplies in Rwanda

In many rural communities, access to specialty care represents the biggest health challenge. Since 2003, a groundbreaking initiative called Project Echo at the University of New Mexico has confronted that gap — with promising results in small towns across New Mexico and, now, around the world.

Free, remote medical consultations are increasing healthcare access for the inhabitants of Bangladesh’s char islands. Using boats, laptops, and video conference software, local NGOs are bringing health services to char residents. One group, thesteps.org, provides residents with a telemedicine service called Teledaktra (TD), another nonprofit, Friendship, operates satellite clinics from a boat.

Drones complement emergency health services in poorly connected regions. Across Rwanda, where the state of infrastructure poses an ongoing structural challenge, drones are making emergency deliveries of blood possible. By partnering with a Silicon Valley tech firm, the Rwandan government has supplemented its healthcare services. With drones involved in some 20 percent of blood deliveries, the work of the Zipline pharmacy raises further questions about the short term and long-term challenges facing Rwanda’s infrastructure.

Health care is not easily accessible for those in Garissa, the capital of Garissa County in Kenya. This is especially problematic when it comes to safe childbirth practices. However, telemedicine is now connecting doctors to the community, overcoming logistical challenges that have plagued rural areas for centuries.

By increasing access to maternal clinics and embracing innovations in medical telecommunications technology, Mongolia has dramatically decreased deaths related to pregnancy and birth. With many people living in remote areas of desert, women in Mongolia used to suffer a high maternal mortality rate. After a series of government-led health reforms, a vast majority of mothers currently have access to maternal health services.

A new app and scope that attaches to a smartphone camera has the capability to photograph a woman's cervix in high definition and send the photo to clinicians for diagnosis. This device replaces previously very expensive machines that takes similar photos and allows clinics in remote or underserved areas to access the same level of care as patients with more access to healthcare. Additionally, the app stores all of these photos in its database and is actively developing its own diagnostic tools so that in the future, the app can even help physicians to diagnose cervical cancer.

Women in Malawi face numerous challenges in reproductive health, especially HIV-positive mothers, and maternal deaths are still rampant in rural areas of the country. Technology is helping change the landscape of maternal health, with devices such as cell phones being used to provide women in rural villages with vital health information, and drones delivering medications where the roads are too rough for emergency services to access quickly.

Healthcare in the United Kingdom faces a major shortage of doctors, but innovative mobile applications are addressing this need through offering online video doctor consultations and AI-empowered diagnoses. Comparing the service to other mobile platforms used for taxis and dry cleaning, these medical app designers aim to both cater to modern demands for streamlined delivery services across all sectors, as well as democratize health care for those who lack traditional access.

Through the mDoc NudgeHub, Lagos residents can access health screenings, coaching, and health education at one of five hubs across the state. People who use the in-person services may be referred to health centers for more in-depth care or receive virtual coaching and education. More than 4,000 women have been served by the hubs so far.

Self-Cav is an AI chatbot that provides judgment-free, 24/7 information to young South Africans about HIV prevention, sexual health, and mental health via WhatsApp, allowing them to connect to real healthcare workers when needed. The chatbot is specifically designed to create demand for the HIV prevention medication PrEP among young women. Nearly 10,000 young people have used the chatbot platform, and 25% have been successfully linked to clinics or healthcare workers for PrEP, HIV testing, contraceptives, or mental health support.