The Cross River State Government has called on Zipline, a drone-based medical delivery company, to reduce its service costs to enable the state to expand vaccine delivery to hard-to-reach communities. This appeal was made by Dr. Vivien Otu, Director-General of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, during an event marking the success of a zero-dose intensification programme implemented by Zipline in partnership with the state government and the Ministry of Health.
The zero-dose intensification programme was designed to identify and vaccinate children who had not received any routine immunisation antigen, particularly those living in remote and riverine communities. Zipline has been instrumental in transporting vaccines by drones to communities where poor roads, difficult terrain, and waterways made conventional vaccine delivery challenging. The programme has helped reach about 3.9 million children with vaccine doses, and some beneficiaries also received nutrition commodities and deworming services.
Dr. Otu disclosed that more than 160 teams comprising vaccinators, recorders, and mobilisers were trained and deployed across nine local government areas under the zero-dose programme. She noted that many children in hard-to-reach communities faced multiple health challenges beyond lack of immunisation, including malnutrition and inadequate access to deworming services. The state is also discussing the establishment of a second Zipline hub to extend coverage to more parts of Cross River.
However, the expansion would depend on an agreement on the cost of the service. Dr. Otu emphasised that the state government is seeking a reduction in the cost of Zipline's implementation and services to make it more affordable. Zipline's Commercial Director, Hannatu Adegboyega, said the company had been working with the Cross River State Government since 2023 to deliver vaccines and other medical commodities to underserved communities.
Zipline has delivered over 13 million vaccines through its operations in Cross River State. Adegboyega said the company was interested in sustaining the partnership and expanding its delivery of essential medicines and other health commodities. She described Cross River's terrain as challenging, particularly in communities where flooding, poor roads, and waterways often prevented residents from accessing health facilities.
The drone delivery system has helped bridge the gap by taking vaccines and other medical supplies to agreed locations in difficult-to-reach communities. Adegboyega said Zipline was also implementing similar interventions in other Nigerian states, including Bayelsa and Kano. She declined to give the number of children reached by the company when asked, saying the figure needed to be confirmed to avoid releasing inaccurate data.
Zipline also intends to support the state with logistics, storage, and data collection as part of its broader health-system intervention. The company is committed to continuing its partnership with the Cross River State Government, pending an agreement on the cost of its services. The state government is hopeful that an agreement will be reached to enable the expansion of vaccine delivery to more remote areas.
Key points
- Cross River State government seeks reduction in Zipline's drone delivery costs.
- Zipline has delivered over 13 million vaccines in Cross River State.
- The drone delivery system has helped reach hard-to-reach communities in Cross River State.
