Rwanda to use drones to deliver medical supplies

Rwanda's government has signed an agreement with a US-based robotics company to build infrastructure for drones that would deliver medical supplies to health facilities across the country.

The agreement with Zipline was signed on Tuesday in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. Zipline will begin by setting up three drone ports in Rwanda. 

Zipline will also supply the drones and test flights are to start in August. The cost of the ports and drones were not made public.

Keller Rinaudo, Zipline's chief executive, said the unmanned aircraft will make deliveries to rural health facilities for less than it would cost to make the same deliveries by motorbike.

Jean-Philbert Nsengimana, Rwanda's minister for information and communication technology, said drones can help solve infrastructure problems, especially in areas without road networks.