Drone Deliveries of Medical Supplies Lower Maternal Mortality Rates by 56% in Ghana
In a recent development, a study conducted on 191 health facilities between 2017 and 2022 revealed notable improvements in maternal health outcomes due to Zipline's drone delivery system. The study reported a 19.9% increase in antenatal visits, a 25% rise in deliveries at health facilities, and a drop in maternal deaths at Zipline-supported facilities by 56.4%.
However, it's essential to clarify that these improvements were not observed in Ghana's Ashanti Region. Contrary to a misconception, there is no evidence of a significant reduction (56.4% or otherwise) in maternal deaths attributed to Zipline's drone delivery system in the Ashanti Region as of 2025.
Recent reports show an increase in maternal deaths in the Ashanti Region for the first half of 2025, with 232 deaths per 100,000 live births—a rise from 158 in the same period in 2024. Key factors cited for this increase include uncoordinated referrals between healthcare facilities, limited capacity at local health centers to handle complicated cases, and high numbers of referrals to larger hospitals like Komfo Anokye Hospital, where many deaths occur.
Despite the rise in maternal deaths in the Ashanti Region, plans are underway to develop a new healthcare model to improve coordination and capacity at primary and district levels to reduce these deaths.
It's worth noting that Zipline's drone delivery system, which uses autonomous drones to deliver essential medical supplies, including blood and emergency medicines, to remote and urban clinics, has shown significant improvements in other regions of Ghana. Fewer stockouts of blood products, oxytocin, and anti-snake venom have been reported at Zipline-supported facilities, contributing to the overall improvement in maternal health outcomes.
While the Ashanti Region has not yet seen the same level of improvement as other regions, the use of drones for medical supply delivery could still be a promising solution for addressing healthcare access issues in remote and underserved areas. The focus for the Ashanti Region, for now, lies in improving the overall coordination and capacity of the healthcare system to reduce maternal deaths.
[1] Source 1 [2] Source 2 [3] Source 3
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