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. 2023 Mar 7;11(3):605.
doi: 10.3390/vaccines11030605.

The Use of Drones to Deliver Rift Valley Fever Vaccines in Rwanda: Perceptions and Recommendations

Evan F Griffith  1 , Janna M Schurer  1   2 , Billy Mawindo  3 , Rita Kwibuka  4 , Thierry Turibyarive  4 , Janetrix Hellen Amuguni  1   2
Affiliations

The Use of Drones to Deliver Rift Valley Fever Vaccines in Rwanda: Perceptions and Recommendations

Evan F Griffith et al. Vaccines (Basel). .

Abstract

Given the recent emergence of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in Rwanda and its profound impact on livelihoods and health, improving RVF prevention and control strategies is crucial. Vaccinating livestock is one of the most sustainable strategies to mitigate the impact of RVF on health and livelihoods. However, vaccine supply chain constraints severely limit the effectiveness of vaccination programs. In the human health sector, unmanned aerial vehicles, i.e., drones, are increasingly used to improve supply chains and last-mile vaccine delivery. We investigated perceptions of whether delivering RVF vaccines by drone in Rwanda might help to overcome logistical constraints in the vaccine supply chain. We conducted semi-structured interviews with stakeholders in the animal health sector and Zipline employees in Nyagatare District in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. We used content analysis to identify key themes. We found that stakeholders in the animal health sector and Zipline employees believe that drones could improve RVF vaccination in Nyagatare. The primary benefits study participants identified included decreased transportation time, improved cold chain maintenance, and cost savings.

Keywords: Rwanda; drones; livestock vaccine supply chain; rift valley fever; zoonotic disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the result.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Zipline drones in the Muhanga facility. Photo credit: EFG.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Map of Study Area. This map was created with ESRI ArcMap 10.8.2. Data source for map layers: ArcGIS Online.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Annual RVF vaccination protocol in Nyagatare District. Private sector veterinarians can assist sector veterinarians. However, they cannot collect vaccines from RAB offices or agrovet shops. Made with creately (app.creately.com accessed on 21 December 2022).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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