Photo: UPS
Drone deliveries have flourished in recent years, with these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) proving their reliability in a plethora of scenarios all over the world. Next to food, medical supplies are among the most popular items sent via drone, reducing transit times from hours to minutes. UPS and Swoop Aero recently teamed up to use this innovative flying technology to deliver vaccines worldwide.
There are multiple benefits to using drones for deliveries, from cutting down operational costs to reducing transit times from six to seven hours to as little as 15 minutes. Another advantage of drones is that they can reach otherwise inaccessible areas, offering assistance to those in need, regardless of whether they are located in the world.
Australian drone logistics company Swoop Aero boasts of having completed over 13,000 beyond visual line of sight flights so far, delivering close to a million packages worldwide. It was also the first company in the world to deliver a vaccine in Vanuatu using a commercial drone, an achievement it managed to obtain in 2018. Now, the company partnered up with UPS to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Malawi, a country in southeastern Africa.
The collaboration is part of a global effort to support equitable distribution of these vaccines worldwide, with the nonprofit organization VillageReach also joining in. VillageReach consists of a team of over 180 professionals who strive to solve health care delivery issues in low-resources communities.
While Europeans and Americans had no problems receiving two to three dozes already, only 17 percent of the African continent is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with accessibility and supplies representing the biggest challenges.
Via this new partnership, Swoop Aero, UPS, and VillageReach will expand their outreach from three to more than 20 districts in Malawi, connecting approximately 100 hard-to-reach clinics with hospitals, pharmacies, and labs.
Swoop Aero’s delivery drones are versatile and reliable, with the manufacturer’s latest model, Kite, being able to hit a top speed of 124 mph (200 kph). It can carry a payload of up to 11 lb (5 kg) and offers a flight time of 108 miles (175 km) per charge, with loads of 3 kg (6.6 lb).
Australian drone logistics company Swoop Aero boasts of having completed over 13,000 beyond visual line of sight flights so far, delivering close to a million packages worldwide. It was also the first company in the world to deliver a vaccine in Vanuatu using a commercial drone, an achievement it managed to obtain in 2018. Now, the company partnered up with UPS to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Malawi, a country in southeastern Africa.
The collaboration is part of a global effort to support equitable distribution of these vaccines worldwide, with the nonprofit organization VillageReach also joining in. VillageReach consists of a team of over 180 professionals who strive to solve health care delivery issues in low-resources communities.
While Europeans and Americans had no problems receiving two to three dozes already, only 17 percent of the African continent is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with accessibility and supplies representing the biggest challenges.
Via this new partnership, Swoop Aero, UPS, and VillageReach will expand their outreach from three to more than 20 districts in Malawi, connecting approximately 100 hard-to-reach clinics with hospitals, pharmacies, and labs.
Swoop Aero’s delivery drones are versatile and reliable, with the manufacturer’s latest model, Kite, being able to hit a top speed of 124 mph (200 kph). It can carry a payload of up to 11 lb (5 kg) and offers a flight time of 108 miles (175 km) per charge, with loads of 3 kg (6.6 lb).
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