CALABAR — The Cross River State Government has called on Zipline, a drone-based medical delivery company, to reduce the cost of its services to enable the state to expand vaccine distribution to hard-to-reach communities.
The Director-General of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Vivian Mesembe Otu, made the appeal during the close-out ceremony of the Zipline Zero-Dose Intensification Project in Calabar.
Otu acknowledged the impact of drone-enabled medical logistics on healthcare delivery in remote parts of the state but said the cost of the service remained a major concern for the government and other stakeholders.
State Seeks Sustainable Delivery
According to the agency’s director-general, the technology had improved access to vaccines in communities that face difficulties receiving routine health commodities through conventional transportation.
However, she said reducing the financial burden associated with the service would make the intervention more affordable and sustainable.
Otu disclosed that the state government was already engaging Zipline and its partners, including Gavi, Pfizer and UPS, on ways to bring down the cost of the drone delivery service.
She said a more affordable arrangement would allow Cross River to extend vaccine delivery to more underserved communities and strengthen efforts to reach children who have missed routine immunisation.
Drones Reach Remote Communities
Drone delivery has increasingly become part of efforts to address healthcare supply challenges in remote areas, where poor roads, long distances and difficult terrain can delay the movement of vaccines and other essential medical supplies.
Zipline says its autonomous delivery network is designed to serve rural and hard-to-reach areas, with its healthcare operations capable of transporting critical supplies over long distances.
The company has also been involved in vaccine delivery initiatives in Nigeria, including programmes targeting zero-dose children in Cross River and other states.
The Pfizer Foundation previously announced support for a Zipline vaccine-delivery programme in Cross River, Kaduna and Bayelsa, with the initiative expected to help expand access to routine vaccines and other essential health supplies for underserved communities.
Focus On Zero-Dose Children
The Cross River project forms part of broader efforts to identify and reach children who have not received routine childhood vaccinations.
The state has continued to focus on closing immunisation gaps, particularly in communities where access to healthcare facilities remains difficult.
Recent data reported on Cross River’s immunisation programme showed that the state had maintained strong overall coverage while acknowledging persistent gaps in access to vaccination services across its health facilities.
The use of drones provides an alternative to conventional transportation and can help health authorities move vaccines and other supplies rapidly to facilities serving remote populations.
Government, Partners Seek Expansion
The Cross River Government’s request for lower delivery costs reflects the challenge of sustaining technology-driven healthcare interventions after initial project support.
While drone delivery can overcome some geographical and logistical barriers, the state wants a cost structure that can support wider and longer-term deployment.
Otu’s appeal therefore centres on making the technology financially sustainable while preserving its ability to reach communities that conventional supply chains may struggle to serve.
The government is expected to continue discussions with Zipline and its development partners as it works to strengthen vaccine access and ensure that children in remote communities are not left behind in routine immunisation programmes.
The broader objective is to combine technology, partnerships and stronger primary healthcare systems to improve access to life-saving vaccines across Cross River State.
