In Rwanda’s remote regions, drones are not just novelties, they’re lifelines. An American start-up Zipline has partnered with the Rwandan government to deliver blood and essential medicines by air to hospitals that once waited hours for supplies. In one case, two units of paediatric blood arrived within six minutes by drone and revived a critically ill child.

The impact on maternal care is striking. A study by the University of Pennsylvania found that Zipline’s services led to a 51% reduction in in-hospital maternal deaths from postpartum-haemorrhage in Rwanda.

Blood for childbirth complications now accounts for nearly half of all units distributed in Rwanda, helping to tackle one of the leading causes of maternal death in the region. What was once a three-hour car trip is now often a 15-minute drone delivery. And in an emergency, minutes can mean lives.