Denis Opudo
Unlike in the United States where drones may be used by children like toys, in Africa, there are tastings on where and how the drones can be used more constructively. Both personal and commercial drones are increasing their monetary value every day, and a good number of fixed aircrafts are sold annually. Some leaders in the US are against the business and are calling for the immediate stop of the business.
In Rwanda, a commercial drone is helping the health sector whereby it’s used in delivering blood to larger part of all Rwanda’s blood transfusion center. The drone also has a refrigerated room with a technician in it who helps in the preservation of plasma, platelets, blood cells and cryoprecipitate. The drone can deliver an order within 20 minutes after the order come from a hospital in 2hours. Another drone is on the move of building the world’s first civilian drone port for commercial deliveries and distributing health supplies.
Countries like Kenya, Cameroon, South Africa and Malawi are also using the commercial drones in various fields. In Malawi, the drones are used to transport HIV test kits to rural areas. In other parts, they are used to prevent poaching and strengthen safaris. In Cameroon a drone named Will and Brothers recently got $200, 000 to start gathering and producing parts for drones within the country. Atlan Space startup based in Morocco has come up with software that uses drones for monitoring illegal marine activities like oil spills and illegal fishing.
California based startup Zipline is responsible for the construction and operation of driverless drones and delivery services the company was launched in October 2017 in Rwanda. Zipline has covered 100, 000 kilometers delivering 2, 6000 units of blood over 1, 400 flights. The drones are in a position to fly at 100 km an hour roughly 60 miles per hour and can reach any hospital or clinic that is 73 kilometers away. The drones give Africa hopes on the technology innovations. Come 2050 the continent will have gone to greater heights than now.
