Cost Effectiveness of Vaccines Delivery by Drones

Cost Effectiveness of Vaccines Delivery by Drones

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Drones can be used for the delivery of vital products in all fielss, including healthcare on the civil and military spheres.

A new research found that using unmanned drones to deliver vaccines (childhood, or against Malaria, and the Zika Virus in future) in low- and middle-income countries may save money and improve vaccination rates. The research was led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center.

The cost savings would come from drones being able to deliver vaccines more quickly and cheaply than land-based methods limited by road conditions and the need for costly fuel and maintenance, the researchers note in their study.

According to Johns Hoppkins University announcement, after entering a country, vaccine vials typically travel by road through two to four storage locations before arriving at clinics. Most vaccines need to remain refrigerated until they are used. Non-vaccine costs of routine immunizations are expected to rise by 80% between 2010 and 2020, with more than one-third of costs attributable to supply chain logistics.

Comparing a computer model simulating a traditional land-based transportation system with an unmanned drone system for delivering vaccines, the researchers found that using drones would produce significant savings of some 20%. On the other hand, vaccine availability could only slightly be improved by drone technology.

Drones are currently being tested for medical supply deliveries in rural Virginia, Bhutan and Papua New Guinea. UNICEF is testing the feasibility of using them to transport lab samples in Malawi. And in Tanzania, there are efforts afoot to transport blood and essential medications.