Page 49 - World Airnews Magazine May Edition 2021

AFRICAN
DIGITAL

There also needs to be more open sharing of data around drone States has also started drone delivery of medical supplies with
use. Right now there is little publicly available information about UPS flying drones at the WakeMed campus in Raleigh, N.C. All of
the economics of drone delivery or how health outcomes are these operations will need to find sustainable financial models in
impacted. While there are many understandable reasons why order to deliver on their full potential.
organizations are hesitant to provide quantitative information • Sharing the airspace
about their systems ranging from national data sovereignty The biggest barrier to creating these types of operations around
concerns from governments to competitive concerns by companies the world remains regulation of the airspace. Civil aviation
without this data it is hard for government officials or healthcare authorities (CAAs) face a tough challenge in balancing the safety of
officials to evaluate the claims of potential service providers. existing flight operations and people on the ground while enabling
Deloitte and the World Economic Forum developed a model for new types of operations. However, in addition to traditional
looking at the economics of delivery, but much more nuanced measurement of risk, consideration also needs to be given to the
information is needed. The public and private sector should work risk of not enabling lifesaving delivery operations and how many
together to plan what data will be collected when a programme is people’s health will be improved by on demand access to vaccine,
started and what information they will commit to releasing. blood products, and other medical supplies.
• Scaling up and spreading out CAAs are making progress in creating an enabling environment,
We are beginning to see the spread of these activities around but more needs to be done to allow for scaled up operations.
the world and lessons from scaled up operations in Africa being Performance based regulations provide a way forward.
applied elsewhere. In India, the Forum has worked with states The COVID-19 pandemic has increased interest in using drones
including Telangana as well as the central government on its for medical supply chains. Although no single technology can be
Medicine From the Sky project. India is incubating its own a silver bullet, we need to pursue all avenues that improve equity
ecosystem of companies and policies and expects to launch trials of access to life saving goods whether in Africa, rural America, or
of drone delivered vaccines in the next few months. poor urban communities.
Japan is experimenting with new business models as We should not wait until the next crisis that will surely come to
Zipline’s strategic operational partnership with Toyota Tsusho accelerate efforts to put this new form of health infrastructure in
Corporation in Japan will provide a look at scaled up third-party place. By learning the lessons that Africa has to teach the world,
implementation models. Israel recently conducted one of the the public and private sector can put in place business models,
largest trials of concurrent drone flights under an unmanned regulation, and smart supply chain integration that will improve
traffic systems with the aim of creating a nationwide drone access to healthcare for all.
delivery network that will include medical goods. The United Article courtesy: https://www.weforum.org/agenda

NEWS

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World Airnews | May Extra 2021
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