Use drone technology to improve access to vaccines, medicines, and lab testing for 700,000 people in remote Malawi and Mozambique with VillageReach and Focusing Philanthropy
Use drone technology to improve access to vaccines, medicines, and lab testing for 700,000 people in remote Malawi and Mozambique with VillageReach and Focusing Philanthropy
As always, Focusing Philanthropy covers all overhead costs. 100% of every donation will go to the Drones For Health campaign.
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THE NEED
Despite incredible progress to improve health in low and middle income countries over the last two decades, inequities and gaps in coverage persist for those in the lowest income levels, marginalized populations, and other hard-to-reach communities. In remote parts of Malawi and Mozambique, difficult terrain, flooding, and limited transportation infrastructure are barriers to adequate health product delivery.
When vaccines or medicines can’t reach remote areas, and patient samples cannot be rapidly transported for testing to a laboratory, the health of entire communities is at stake. This means that children may fall sick and die from malaria and diarrhea especially during the rainy season, pregnant women may not survive complications of pregnancy or childbirth, and infectious diseases like Tuberculosis, COVID and HIV may spread faster in the general population.
THE APPROACH
VillageReach and Focusing Philanthropy are partnering to raise $2,000,000 to increase equitable access to health products and diagnostics for 700,000 people in hard-to-reach areas in Malawi and Mozambique via drone technology. Using drone service provider Swoop Aero, The Drones For Health campaign will scale up the first national two-way drone delivery service in the world by expanding drone flights from 25 to 105 health facilities in Malawi. Drones will both deliver medical products and pick up lab samples for testing, contributing to a reduction in maternal and childhood disease as well as infectious diseases such as Malaria, HIV, TB, and COVID-19. In Mozambique, the campaign will support the government’s emergency response to the COVID pandemic in one of the provinces hardest-hit by the virus.
VillageReach increases access to quality health care for 43 million people throughout sub-Saharan Africa each year. As part of its responsive supply chain solutions, VillageReach uses drones to leap-frog ground transportation barriers, delivering vaccines and medicines, collecting laboratory samples, and returning lab test results faster in remote communities. Drones have been able to fly even during excessive flooding, when roads are impassible, and have reduced journey times by 90 percent.
THE GOAL
From March 1 to December 31, 2021, Focusing Philanthropy will add $1 for every dollar contributed by VillageReach until the overall campaign goal of $2,000,000 is reached.
Donations must be a minimum of $1,000 and directed to Focusing Philanthropy, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit and free resource to donors. Donations are fully tax deductible and 100% of funds contributed will go to the Drone For Health initiative.
All Focusing Philanthropy costs are covered by its founders.