Friday, July 4, 2025
UG Standard - Latest News
  • Home
  • News
    • DIPLOMACY
    • COURT
    • AFRICA
    • BOOK REVIEW
    • INTERVIEW:
    • National
    • Parliament
    • World
    • Regional
  • Business
    • AGRIBUSINESS
    • OIL & GAS
    • REAL ESTATE
    • TECH
    • INNOVATIONS
    • TELCOM
  • OpED
  • EDUCATION
  • INVESTIGATION
    • NATIONAL ARCHIVE
    • SPECIAL REPORT
    • ANALYSIS
  • FEATURES
    • SOCIETY
    • Community
    • Pictorial
    • PROFILES
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • ENVIRONMENT
  • Tours & Travel
    • Hotel & Hospitality
  • Sports
  • About Us
  • Login
UG Standard - Latest News
ADVERTISEMENT

Drones that save lives: Uganda breaks down geographical barriers thanks to new technology

by OUR REPORTER | UG STANDARD
27/08/2022
in TECH
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Uganda breaks down geographical barriers thanks to new technology (PHOTO /Courtesy)

Uganda breaks down geographic barriers with technology: on the Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria, HIV drugs arrive thanks to drones and the experiment is about to be exported to other continents

From 29 July to 2 August, the 24th International AIDS Conference was held in Montreal.

Related posts

President Museveni assents to nine new bills, including key tax amendments, to boost Uganda's domestic revenue and fiscal discipline for the 2025/26 financial year.

Museveni approves nine new tax laws to bolster revenue

02/07/2025
319
Rotary District 9213 Gov. Geoffrey Kitakule speaks at a press conference Tuesday at Protea Hotel Kampala.

New Rotary Governor Kitakule calls for collaboration as new year begins

01/07/2025
224

Looming unemployment: Farmers, Residents in shock as NEMA boss orders the demolition of multi million chicken farm

30/06/2025
312

Challenges of taxing law firms in Uganda

30/06/2025
170

For the first time, two teams of scientists presented important research on the impact of drone technology on the distribution of HIV drugs in hard-to-reach areas.

The idea – funded by Johnson & Johnson – was tested in the Kalangala district of Uganda

It involved the Bufumira Health Centre, the Ministry of Health in Kampala, the Academy for Health Innovation and a research institute affiliated with Makerere University, the Infectious Diseases Institute.

The eradication of HIV is an almost unattainable goal for Uganda without the intelligent use of technology, because the areas most affected are geographically and logistically isolated.

If the prevalence rate of the disease in the country is in fact 5.6%, in the Kalangala district it is around 18%, with peaks – in the most remote areas – of 40.

The worst situation concerns the inhabitants of the Ssese islands, an archipelago of 84 atolls in Lake Victoria, the large freshwater basin stretching between Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

The islands, inhabited by almost 70,000 people and located just under 100 kilometres from the capital Kampala, can still only be reached by boat, with the risk that the weather conditions will seriously hamper the delivery of medicines.

Uganda, life-saving medicines arrive by flying

The use of drones, already pioneered in Ghana and Rwanda to deliver blood and medicines to more than 22 million people, is intended to provide a solution to the difficulty of supplying Uganda’s health system on the islands, which, added to the nomadic lifestyle of fishermen, is one of the main reasons limiting access to adequate treatment for half of the sick residents.

Twenty flights are scheduled each month to ensure vital health needs are met for over a thousand people living with HIV in the 78 community groups living in the archipelago.

Local experts supervise the take-off and landing of each aircraft, which, at the end of a journey of some ten kilometres over the world’s largest tropical lake, ensures a three-month distribution of anti-retroviral drugs to around 15 people.

The nerve centre of the project is the island of Bufumira, where the drugs arrive by sea before being loaded onto airborne devices designed to hold up to one kilogramme in weight and travel up to 150 km.

The initiative is not without its critics, because it does not make a dent in the structural budget problem of the Ugandan health system, which is often condemned by the public because of the poor availability of medicines even in public health facilities that are easily accessible by road.

There is no doubt, however, about the considerable advantages of distributing medicines via drones compared to distribution by boat.

Firstly, delivery times have been reduced from 35 to 9 minutes and the inconveniences concerning the risk of rain have been completely eliminated.

In addition to the adherence to the timetable and greater adherence to treatment by patients who can take their medication at the appropriate time thanks to their availability, time and money savings were also emphasised among the results regarding the success of the trial.

In the past, in fact, health workers visiting the islands spent more than half of their time requesting new supplies of drugs, while now part of the project involves specific training for doctors in local facilities to distribute the drugs transported by drones to the population.

Not only Uganda: the ‘African method’ against HIV

The Academy for Health Innovation has assured that the project will soon be extended to West Nile, a northern Ugandan region, and Andrew Kambugu, executive director of the Infectious Disease Institute in Kampala, said that ensuring that all people have equitable access to modern HIV treatments is ‘one of the most significant challenges for Ugandan and global health’.

It seems, in fact, that Africa is finally using modern technology to overcome geographical and logistical difficulties and tackle this scourge that has plagued the continent for more than half a century.

Another example is in Conakry, where drones are being used in place of motorbikes to bypass the traffic in the metropolis and quickly deliver blood samples for the newborn HIV diagnostic test.

Although the low percentage of Guinean GDP allocated to medical care discourages widespread implementation of the initiative, according to Maxime Inghels, a researcher at the Lincoln International Institute for Rural Health, the use of drones is set to completely change the AIDS scenario in Guinea Conakry: overcoming delivery delays due to congested roads will enable early diagnosis of the disease, infant mortality will be significantly reduced, and up to 24 years will be added to the average life expectancy.

The use of drones for medical supplies could be one of the solutions to the delivery difficulties of African public health systems, but also ‘an African method’ taken up on other continents to implement a differentiated approach to service delivery.

The United States, for example, could draw inspiration from Africa to bridge medical delivery gaps in indigenous Native American communities or Alaska, where according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV diagnoses are on the rise.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Tags: Academy for Health InnovationBufumira Health CentreDronesFeaturedHIVKALANGALAkampalaLake VictoriaMakerere UniversityMinistry of HealthSsese Islandsthe Infectious Diseases Institute

Related Posts

Innocent Kawooya, the HiPipo CEO noted that innovators can use Mojaloop to develop secure and interoperable payment systems that are acceptable globally.
TECH

17 Startups to watch out for in 2022

by OUR REPORTER | UG STANDARD
05/01/2022
0
169

Innocent Kawooya, the HiPipo CEO noted that FinTech giants like Craft Silicon offer a variety of learning options for young...

Read moreDetails
The Digital Impact Awards Africa celebrates digital excellence across the continent, big or small, local or international.

2022 Digital Impact Awards Africa open for nominations

01/09/2022
160

2022 National Science Week kicks off at Kololo

09/11/2022
181
2022 Women in FinTech Hackathon participants make final presentations

2022 Women in FinTech Hackathon participants make final presentations

16/09/2022
152
Load More

Popular Articles

  • Check out the top schools with pupils who scored 6 in 4 aggregates in the 2024 PLE results, as released by UNEB

    PLE 2024 Results: Top Schools with 6 in 4 Aggregates

    4364 shares
    Share 1746 Tweet 1091
  • How to Renew Your National ID Online: NIRA Pre-Registration Portal 2025 Guide

    3942 shares
    Share 1577 Tweet 986
  • NIRA unveils high-tech National ID, mass enrollment set to begin

    2662 shares
    Share 1065 Tweet 666
  • FULL LIST: Ministry of Education, NCDC publish self-study workbooks amid COVID-19 lockdown

    3323 shares
    Share 1348 Tweet 823
  • How to Check PLE Results 2024 on Phone, Online

    1783 shares
    Share 713 Tweet 446
  • PLE 2024 Results: UNEB Clarifies on Release Date

    1650 shares
    Share 660 Tweet 413
  • MPs clear govt to cancel 2020 academic year

    2796 shares
    Share 1150 Tweet 686

Recent Articles

Deo Akope

June Real Stars Awarded

03/07/2025

Hon. Kasolo nominated for NRM Vice Chairperson, Buganda Region

03/07/2025
Sandra Nabakka, Day Light Solar Energies

Day Light Solar Energies selected for The Safe Water Accelerator 2025

03/07/2025
George William Kiyingi, PostBank's Head of Agent Banking and Fintech Distribution, highlights how the Wendi digital wallet has surpassed UGX 1 trillion in PDM disbursements

Wendi Digital Wallet surpasses UGX 1 Trillion in PDM disbursements

03/07/2025
Mr. Richard Baguma addressing participants.

Government urged to prioritize Health sector in SDG 3

03/07/2025

Kakuru pledges to amplify voices of entrepreneurs after historic nomination

02/07/2025
Sheila Agaba (centre), the Business Manager at the Stanbic Business Incubator Limited, posing for a photo with other stakeholders at the event

Stanbic partners with GIZ to support women in green businesses in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania

02/07/2025

Recent CommentsRecent Comments

  • The Journey of Ibrahim Traoré on How President Ibrahim Traoré’s ambitious vision is driving Burkina Faso’s economic growth push
  • Ugandan Scientists Finalists For European Inventors Prize — Press Uganda on Ugandan scientists finalists for European inventors prize
  • Government Pumps UGX1 Trillion Into UDB To Drive Industrialization, SME Growth — Press Uganda on Government pumps UGX1 Trillion into UDB to drive Industrialization, SME growth
  • PS Ggoobi Tips On Building USD 500b Economy — Press Uganda on PS Ggoobi tips on building USD 500b economy
  • Museveni Meets German Envoy Matthias Schauer After Subversion Claims — Press Uganda on Museveni meets German envoy Matthias Schauer after subversion claims

UG Standard - Latest News

UG Standard, published via www.ugstandard.com isa publication of Sahel Media Solutions Ltd, a professional Digital/New Media company in Uganda info@ugstandard.com

Follow us on social media:

Latest News

  • June Real Stars Awarded
  • Hon. Kasolo nominated for NRM Vice Chairperson, Buganda Region
  • Day Light Solar Energies selected for The Safe Water Accelerator 2025
  • Wendi Digital Wallet surpasses UGX 1 Trillion in PDM disbursements
  • Government urged to prioritize Health sector in SDG 3
  • Kakuru pledges to amplify voices of entrepreneurs after historic nomination

OpED

HELLEN MASIKA: From Darkness to Solar Light in Kijumba 

Why de-register a Motor Vehicle in Uganda: and Consequences of Non-Compliance

Challenges of taxing law firms in Uganda

SHEILA ABOTH: Maternal healthcare must be everyone’s business because it takes a village

DARIUS NIWAHA KISHAHO: Securing Health After Retirement: Why a Post-Retirement Medical Cover is a Necessity, Not a Luxury

© 2024 Ugstandard - Latest News by Digital/New Media company.

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Facebook
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • DIPLOMACY
    • COURT
    • AFRICA
    • BOOK REVIEW
    • INTERVIEW:
    • National
    • Parliament
    • World
    • Regional
  • Business
    • AGRIBUSINESS
    • OIL & GAS
    • REAL ESTATE
    • TECH
    • INNOVATIONS
    • TELCOM
  • OpED
  • EDUCATION
  • INVESTIGATION
    • NATIONAL ARCHIVE
    • SPECIAL REPORT
    • ANALYSIS
  • FEATURES
    • SOCIETY
    • Community
    • Pictorial
    • PROFILES
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • ENVIRONMENT
  • Tours & Travel
    • Hotel & Hospitality
  • Sports
  • About Us

© 2024 Ugstandard - Latest News by Digital/New Media company.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
%d