While drones may have become novelty toys for many, in one Ugandan district — together with the upskilling of local community members to operate the drones — they’re providing a lifeline in delivering HIV medicines to other nearby islands.
Kalangala district is an archipelago of 84 islands — some heavily populated, others uninhabited, and all thickly forested — on Lake Victoria, a great expanse of fresh water shared between Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Among its inhabitants of more than 70,000, HIV cases remain stubbornly high despite concerted efforts over the years to bring Uganda’s overall prevalence rate down.
“HIV prevalence in most of Uganda has really declined over the last 20 years,” said Rosalind Parkes-Ratanshi, director at the Ugandan Academy for Health Innovation and Impact. “Places like central Kampala are around 7%, yet the islands have remained at a very high prevalence rate of around 27%.”
Without finding ways to overcome the geographic and logistical challenges of the area, eradicating HIV remains an out-of-reach target for Uganda.
Kalangala district’s medical drones project could be a solution.
The idea behind the Johnson & Johnson funded initiative is to transport medicines — arriving from the mainland by boat — from Bufumira island to more remote locations in the district by drone. The project aims to assess the effectiveness and impact of drone technology — teamed with community-driven care — in delivering HIV medications.
Access this visual story and join Devex on the ground in Uganda as we follow the first flight and explore how drones could offer a solution to improved HIV treatment and care.
About the author
Devex Partnerships
Thanks for reading and for your interest in Devex. In collaboration with our partners, Devex’s partnerships editorial team produces content to promote a partner’s work or perspectives on a particular issue. It gives actors across the global development sector — including nongovernmental organizations, private sector stakeholders, aid agencies and government institutions — the opportunity to go beyond traditional advertising and tell their stories in an impactful way. If you’d like to learn more about how you can shine a spotlight on a particular issue with Devex, please email partnerships@devex.com. We look forward to hearing from you.