The recent suspension of operations at three Zipline drone delivery centres has raised serious public health concerns, with experts warning of potenti
The recent suspension of operations at three Zipline drone delivery centres has raised serious public health concerns, with experts warning of potential increases in preventable deaths due to disruptions in critical medical supply deliveries.
The warning came from Dr. Ayew Afriyie, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Health Committee, during an interview on Citi Eyewitness News on Tuesday, November 25, 2025.
Dr. Afriyie explained that the affected centres – Centres 4, 5, and 6 – cover large and vulnerable parts of the country, including remote and hard-to-reach areas that rely heavily on timely deliveries of blood, vaccines, and other emergency medical products.
Centre 4 serves the Western North Region and parts of the Western, Central, Bono, Ashanti, and Ahafo Regions. Centre 5, based in Anum, delivers essential supplies across the Volta Region, parts of the Eastern Region, and the Afram Plains enclave. Centre 6 covers the Oti Region and parts of the Savannah Region.
“The closure of these facilities poses a direct threat to patients who depend on timely blood and emergency supplies. With the shutdown, it is most likely that in the coming days we will witness more deaths, primarily linked to shortages of blood and other life-saving medical items,” Dr. Afriyie cautioned.
The Ranking Member also expressed concern for Zipline staff, many of whom have been left frustrated and uninformed about the shutdown.
He criticized the government for failing to engage the company despite its critical role in Ghana’s health delivery chain, noting that such decisions appear to be politically motivated and could have dire consequences for public health.
Zipline’s Role In Health System
Zipline, a US-based autonomous logistics company, has operated in Ghana since 2019 through a partnership with the Ghana Health Service.
The Ghana Drone Delivery Service was launched to improve access to vaccines, blood, and essential medical supplies, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
The first delivery, carrying yellow fever vaccines, was completed on April 24, 2019. Initially operating four distribution centres, the company has expanded to six operational hubs across the country.
Over the years, Zipline has become an integral part of the healthcare logistics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company delivered test samples, PPE, and millions of vaccine doses in collaboration with Gavi and the UPS Foundation.
By mid-2025, Zipline had delivered over 8.4 million medical products and more than 17 million vaccine doses.
Studies by global analytics firm IDinsight, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, show that facilities served by Zipline experienced a 60% reduction in stock-out durations, a 42% drop in missed vaccination opportunities, and a 21 percentage-point increase in childhood vaccination coverage compared to facilities supplied by other means.
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