In a bid to transform education in Ghana, Zipline, a drone delivery company, has launched a STEM program aimed at inspiring future innovators.
The program, which has already shown promising results, is part of Zipline’s efforts to motivate students to pursue STEM careers.
Loretta, a Junior High School student, is one of the beneficiaries of the program.
She found her passion for science and engineering through Zipline’s STEM initiative, which showcases the company’s drones and encourages hands-on learning.
Zipline’s entry into Ghana was facilitated by the Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who has been a strong advocate for digitalization.
During his tenure as Vice President, Dr. Bawumia has been instrumental in promoting digitalization in Ghana, and Zipline’s presence in the country is a testament to his efforts.
In 2019, Dr. Bawumia launched Zipline’s operations in Ghana, highlighting the company’s potential to transform the country’s healthcare system.
At the time, he noted that Zipline’s drone delivery system would help reduce the time it takes to transport medical supplies to remote areas, thereby saving lives.
Fast forward to today, Zipline has not only been delivering medical supplies but also inspiring future innovators through its STEM program. The program is designed to encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and it has already shown promising results.
In the past four years, Zipline has worked with the Government of Ghana to grow from one distribution center to six. It has also exponentially increased the number of deliveries, at no additional cost to the government.
In 2019, Zipline made an average of 375 deliveries per month. Today, that number has increased by 44 times, reaching 17,000 in 2023.
Zipline’s impact goes beyond just delivering medical supplies.
The company has also created jobs, with over 200 Ghanaians employed, and has made over 350,000 deliveries to health facilities across 13 regions.
The program has also expanded to new use cases, including delivering antivenom, which has been instrumental in saving lives.
Zipline has flown more than 5,500 units of antivenom to people across Ghana since January 2022.
By far, the most frequently delivered product in Ghana is vaccines. Zipline has delivered more than eight million doses of routine vaccines, including those against tetanus, polio, measles, and meningitis, as well as over two million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
Zipline’s COVID-19 vaccine deliveries have helped reach the most vulnerable households, reducing the burden on healthcare workers and saving lives.
In the next four years, Zipline will continue to support Ghana’s national supply chain, improving access to goods, creating STEM jobs, and expanding to new use cases. But the most crucial part of the partnership is the work Zipline and the Government of Ghana do together to problem-solve supply chain issues for better health outcomes.
Through its STEM program, Zipline is not just inspiring future innovators but also transforming lives and saving thousands of Ghanaians.
As Dr. Bawumia envisioned, Zipline is indeed revolutionizing healthcare in Ghana, and its impact will be felt by generations to come.
-BY Daniel Bampoe