In Rwanda, zippy drones deliver quick fix, but gloss over deeper needs

In Syria, medical personnel are at risk of death as hospitals are frequent targets of bombing. With few medical specialists treating an assortment of injuries and diseases under the most dangerous circumstances, doctors began an underground network. This network installs cameras in hospital rooms to send pictures over mobile media to doctors abroad, doctors working on-site change their names, and animal waste powers the operations.

The Zipline drone system helps deliver life-saving medical supplies, such as blood and antivenom, to areas in the country that are hard to reach due to issues with the terrain, infrastructure or extreme weather. Since launching, Zipline has made more than one million deliveries.

Food allergies can be deadly for many in America, but thanks to collaborative efforts between doctors and lawmakers in Maryland, universities are now stocking dining halls with EpiPens. Staff in the dining halls have also undergone training so they're confident administering the drug if the occasion arises that someone presents with a reaction.

Drone-powered medical deliveries are no longer a concept of the future, thanks to Zipline, a California-based start-up that is delivering medical supplies to rural hospitals in Rwanda. While the drones are limited to carrying less than four pounds and dropping the supplies by parachute, this technology is allowing faster delivery and better access to care across the nation.

Vaccines delivered by done offer dependable access to healthcare in remote areas. On the island nation of Vanuatu, tech companies are partnering with the nation’s government, and UNICEF, to test drone deliveries. Similar technology has been used in Ghana, and has so far served several dozen children in Vanuatu.

Drones can deliver vaccines and medicines to isolated and underserved areas. The South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu now relies on drones to distribute vaccines to children in remote locations. Flights by drone are cheaper than boat trips and can reach portions of the volcanic islands otherwise inaccessible with fragile equipment. Partnerships between health ministries, NGOs, and tech companies have already seen drones implemented to deliver vaccines, medicines, and other medical necessitates in countries such as Malawi and Rwanda.

Jason Friesen, an American paramedic who had served in Haiti after the earthquake, realized that many poor communities in the Caribbean were lacking the equivalent of the United States’ 911 emergency medical services, and were facing increased death tolls as a consequence. Friesen realized he could help such communities set up emergency response systems through the use of volunteers and a simple text message exchange. Now, his organization Trek Medics simplifies and democratizes the emergency dispatch system, and, as a result, saves lives in rural communities.

Lame Deer Health Center in Montana is the first Indian Health Service facility to use telemedicine in its emergency room and clinics. The rooms are equipped with cameras and television monitors and a button that can call specialists or support staff from all over the country. Patients at this facility are now able to see medical specialists or have their cases evaluated by specialists from their rooms, providing more comprehensive healthcare to patients in a rural setting.

An average of 28,000 children born in the U.S. each year die before their first birthday – and many more face disabilities and serious life-long health problems, often because they are born prematurely or at low birth weights. A free service, text4baby, delivers crucial health advice via text message to pregnant women and new mothers.

In 2020, Nigeria's Rural Electrification Agency installed a 50-kilowatt solar-hybrid system at Gombe State Specialist Hospital, providing uninterrupted electricity to critical units, including the ICU and emergency departments. Since its installation, maternal mortality dropped from 15-20 deaths monthly to 1-2 per month, and neonatal deaths also decreased from 50 to 20-25 monthly. The system has also helped healthcare workers perform life-saving surgeries without interruption, as these surgeries were often delayed or impossible due to power outages.