While drones have become ubiquitous around the globe, Africa in particular has embraced the technology for its utility in supporting aid and business operations.
Aid agencies now use UAVs to deliver emergency medical supplies in various African countries while cargo operators deploy them to supply equipment for oil-and-gas companies engaged in exploration projects in remote areas.
“Africa is leading the way in exploiting and implementing the use of drones,” International Air Transport Association (IATA) head of cargo transportation Celine Hourcade told AIN.
Aid agencies use UAVs to deliver medical equipment, medicines, and blood samples in remote parts of the continent. UNICEF, in collaboration with the UPS Foundation, uses Zipline UAVs to transport vaccines, maternal medicines, and blood samples in Malawi, Tanzania, and Lesetho. In Lesotho, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) transports blood samples for faster analysis and diagnosis of HIV.
Hourcade said the Rwandese government has championed the use of drone technologies. The first country in Africa to build a small drone port, Rwanda uses UAVs to transport medical supplies in remote parts of the country known for its thousands of hills. The Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority has established a regulatory framework for remotely piloted aircraft.
Meanwhile, a Kenyan cargo airline, Astral Aviation, recently established a dedicated drone subsidiary, Astral Aerial Solutions, to facilitate the company’s expansion into the drone niche market in Kenya and in Rwanda…
PRIVACY & SURVEILLANCE IN AFRICA 