Drones for Development & Humanitarian Response in Malawi TechNet 15 Judith Sherman 18 October 2017 Photo credit: Matternet

HIV in Malawi HIV prevalence: 8.8% adults; 1.8% children 50% of HIV+ children die before their 2nd birthday if not on treatment. In Malawi, 70 children die from AIDS every week. Turnaround time from blood sample taken for early diagnosis of HIV to lab – median 21 days 700+ facilities; 9 labs. High costs of transport system (~ $1.5 million/year); poor roads

Photo: UNICEF

Photo: UNICEF

Feasibility and Cost of Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to Transport Laboratory Samples for Early Infant Diagnosis of HIV in Malawi Drones have become smaller, more reliable, less expensive. Based on the data, we approached the MoH and CAA to get approval Samples (DBS) lightweight & portable; low-value; non-perishable

The Groundwork Ministry of Transport Ministry of Home Affairs Ministry of Local Government and the Police Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Information Ministry of Defense National Intelligence Bureau 1 – Task force team of UNICEF, CAA and MoH 2. - Obtained government approval: Transport, Home Affairs, Local Government, Foreign Affairs, Information, the Police, Defence, and National Intelligence Bureau.

3 - Identifying and contracting a drone manufacturer Step 3 – Conducting a public awareness campaign with road shows, alongside HIV testing and counselling Last photo - and demonstration days Issued tender, signed contracts, conducted public information campaign

Cost scenarios: Loops, Hub & Spoke

Results Flight operations satisfied CAA requirements All autonomous, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights were successful Drones were cost-favorable when flying multiple journeys, short distances, carrying dedicated payloads It sounds straightforward to say that flight operations satisfied Civil Aviation requirements and that all flights were successful. But it’s important to remember that these were the first non-military drone flights in Malawi, and that we were flying in a restricted airspace, over densely populated areas, beyond line of sight. The cost analysis was quite detailed, but in brief – drones were less costly than motorbikes when flying in a hub & spoke model, carrying small payloads while motorbikes made more cost sense carrying heavier payloads for long distances.

Conclusions Isolating cargo into a parallel logistics systems may miss achieving potential efficiencies Further cost analysis should identify root causes of delays, costs and determine when drones are the most appropriate and cost-effective form of transport

Next Phase: Two-year implementation of an optimized diagnostics network and supply chain system integrating current transport, drones and point- of-care diagnostics for HIV and TB, and delivery of vaccines & emergency medicines and supplies to improve access to care and treatment The next phase is to implement an optimized diagnostics network that considers distances, terrain, seasonal changes, and volume. The network will integrate current modes of transport, drones and point of care diagnostics for HIV, viral load and TB, as well as the delivery of vaccines and emergency medicines and supplies (oxytocin, blood).

EMERGENCY

Emergency response: 2015 Assessing damage Delivering supplies 2015 floods left over 100,000 people displaced. Search & rescue hampered by lack of aircraft & boats. Use of light aircraft to assess damage ($10,000); limited search & rescue;

2017 emergency response & risk-informed programming

Addressing Preventable Maternal Death through UAVs for Medical Commodity Delivery Investigate quality of blood and oxytocin flown by UAVs Assess costs and benefits, including time saved Assess safety concerns and community and stakeholder perceptions Develop a business case for integrating UAVs into the medical transport system The initial groundwork that UNICEF undertook has opened Malawi to drones. Red Cross, VSO, Cooperazione Internationale, MSF are just a few of the NGOs currently conducting drone-related activities, primarily for risk-informed planning. Of particular note is a proof-of-concept currently being implemented by Village Reach to address preventable maternal death by using drones to deliver medical commodities. The objectives are: To investigate the quality of blood and oxytocin flown by UAVs To assess the costs and benefits, including time saved of delivering commodities that would otherwise be unavailable To assess safety concerns and community and stakeholder perceptions related to using drones to transport medical commodities To develop a long-term business case for integrating UAVs into the medical transport system

Malawi – The way forward Regulatory framework developed Government drone pilots trained Establishing coordination mechanisms; data sharing Introducing unmanned air traffic control systems Building partnerships to achieve cost-effective solutions In 2016, just after the study, we began assisting government to develop the regulatory framework for drones; that framework will shortly become part of the Civil Aviation Act. We also supported training for government officials to become licensed drone pilots We’re working with a number of partners to support government to coordinate the multiple drone activities that are taking place We’re also exploring what type of air traffic control system will ensure that the government can provide safe oversight of drone operations. Working with multiple funding and implementing partners, the government, academia, and the private sector to achieve cost-effective solutions that save lives Photo: Matternet

THANK YOU Photo: Matternet