On the third day of the Vaccine Symposium, held from November 17 to 19 in Kigali, participants visited Zipline, a drone delivery company based in Muhanga District, for an electrifying exploration of Rwanda’s drone-powered vaccine distribution system.

The symposium was hosted by the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-Chain (ACES) in collaboration with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), the University of Birmingham (UoB), the Clean Cooling Network, the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), and partners at the ACES Rubirizi Campus in Kigali.

Delegates in Muhanga retraced the journey that began in 2016, stepping into the control room where every flight is monitored in real time and observing how weather conditions and routes are assessed. They also visited the cold-chain room where vaccines and blood are prepared, before witnessing a live drone launch.

Each moment highlighted the precision, coordination, and innovation that keep life-saving supplies moving across the country—a powerful reminder of how technology is reshaping public health in Rwanda.

Why drone-powered vaccine distribution?

Although vaccination is one of the most cost-effective health interventions in low- and middle-income countries, delivery systems often falter due to ageing infrastructure and unstable energy supplies. These weaknesses contribute to the loss of 25–50% of vaccine doses, largely because of breakdowns in cold-chain systems.

This situation has created a critical need for innovative delivery strategies that reduce dependence on facility-based refrigeration while maintaining vaccine potency.

Hassan Sibomana, Director of the Vaccine Programme Unit at the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, explained that delivering vaccines by drone allows them to be used immediately, reducing reliance on static refrigeration through accurate forecasting of vaccine doses.

"We use drones to distribute vaccines, especially to remote and hard-to-reach hospitals. Traditional road transport is expensive and slow in areas with poor roads."

VACCAIR project

During the event, a project known as Vaccine Cold-Chain Air Delivery in Rwanda (VACCAIR) was showcased.

A study entitled "Understanding the Utility of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in Critical Vaccine Supply Chains” was conducted in collaboration with the University of Birmingham, the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, and ACES. VACCAIR is a proof-of-concept study investigating the use of UAVs in critical vaccine supply chains to minimise cold-storage requirements in rural African settings.

The study, conducted over six months beginning on November 4 2024, explored the impact of UAV-delivered vaccines in reducing cold-chain dependence by providing rapid, just-in-time supply to remote health facilities.

Its broader aim is to reimagine the design of cold-chain systems so they are resilient, sustainable, and reliable—supporting secure and timely vaccine delivery to rural communities in Rwanda and other sub-Saharan African regions.

The primary objective is to evaluate a UAV-based vaccine delivery model that reduces or eliminates long-term cold-storage requirements at remote health centres by enabling on-demand delivery.

Gilbert Rukundo, a researcher on the project and a PhD candidate at the University of Birmingham, said the pioneering study demonstrated that using drones to deliver vaccines on demand can reduce stockpiles at health centres by 95%, cut spoilage, and speed up delivery times.

The research, conducted in Rwanda’s Eastern Province and centred on Rwamagana Level 2 Teaching Hospital and 16 surrounding health centres, evaluated whether a just-in-time vaccine delivery system could replace the traditional model of storing large quantities of vaccines in fridges for weeks.

"We wanted to understand whether a just-in-time system could work—whether health centres could request vaccines and receive them the same day, in the exact quantities required. Our findings show that it is not only possible, but highly effective,” Rukundo explained.

Between November 2024 and May 2025, drones delivered 44,791 doses to nine health centres. On average, deliveries took 39 minutes from request to arrival, with 75% completed in under 46 minutes. In some cases, drones arrived in as little as 13 minutes.

Weather occasionally caused delays, but researchers noted that most flights were consistent and reliable. Feedback from health centres indicated they were "extremely satisfied with the service,” reporting fewer concerns about power cuts and freezer overloads.

The research forms part of a broader effort to design the next generation of vaccine cold-chain systems for resource-limited settings.

Zipline’s drones bring vaccines directly to health posts, ensuring timely and accurate deliveries with a target of 99% on-time success.

Over the course of the programme in 2024, Zipline delivered 76,182 vaccine doses to rural communities—equivalent to fully vaccinating nearly 6,000 children.

A collaboration between Zipline and Rwanda’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation has enabled staff members in more than 100 health posts involved in the programme to be fully trained to administer these vaccines.

Scaling up for universal coverage

The combination of innovation and capacity-building is bringing Rwanda closer to its goal of universal vaccine coverage. It is expected to dramatically increase the percentage of children vaccinated within walking distance of their homes.

Looking ahead, Rwanda plans to increase the number of health posts to 1,700, ensuring that no family has to walk more than 25 minutes to access healthcare.

Zipline is committed to scaling its vaccine delivery programme alongside this expansion, with a goal of serving over 1,000 health posts nationwide.

Training additional healthcare workers and extending services to health posts without cold storage will be critical to sustaining this progress.

Animal vaccine delivery by drones

Bosco Mbonigaba, Director of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Prevention Programme at RBC, explained that in 2018 the government integrated rabies vaccine delivery into the drone system.

Since then, anti-rabies vaccines have been delivered to remote health facilities by drones, with vaccines stored at the hospital level.

"This is the supply chain monitoring system using drones to deliver anti-rabies vaccines and immunoglobulin. We monitor where supplies are needed and ensure Zipline has what it requires for delivery,” he said.

Jean-Claude Ndorimana, Director-General of Animal Resources Development at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, noted that under Rwanda’s Fifth Strategic Plan for Agricultural Transformation (PSTA-5), the ministry is prioritising stronger veterinary services, reliable vaccine cold chains, improved disease surveillance, digital and smart technologies, and enhanced laboratory and diagnostic systems.

He listed innovations already being deployed, or in development, including solar-powered vaccine refrigerators, real-time temperature monitoring with IoT sensors, data-driven forecasting to reduce wastage, drone-assisted delivery in mountainous areas, regional distribution hubs, and predictive analytics for early detection of equipment failures.

"A strong animal vaccine cold chain is not only a veterinary issue, it is an economic issue. Healthy animals mean stable protein supplies, safer trade, and reduced treatment costs. If we act decisively, we can ensure that every dose reaches its destination safely, sustainably, and on time. By protecting vaccines, we safeguard futures,” he added.

Fabrice Ndayisenga, Head of Animal Resources Research and Technology Transfer at RAB, explained that previously, districts transported vaccines from Kigali, which was inefficient and risked cold-chain breaks.

"Since 2022, vaccines have been delivered directly to districts through a partnership with Zipline, ensuring faster, reliable cold delivery. This enables quicker outbreak response, with vaccines deployable the same day or the next day. Rapid response to outbreaks requires fast vaccine deployment,” he said.