By: Citinewsroom

The United States Government has announced a commitment of up to $150 million to Zipline International Inc. to expand access to life-saving medical supplies in five African nations: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Rwanda. The funding, announced via a U.S. Embassy digital press briefing, is part of the U.S. Department of State’s new America First Global Health Strategy, which aims to improve the efficiency and alignment of development assistance with U.S. foreign policy.

According to U.S. officials, partnering with the American robotics and drone-technology company is intended to modernize health logistics and address challenges in delivering essential supplies to remote and underserved communities. The initiative is designed to strengthen health systems' ability to respond to outbreaks while also supporting U.S. manufacturing and creating jobs in partner countries.

Under the agreement, Zipline is expected to open new distribution centers and expand its network of autonomous drones. The CEO of Zipline Africa, Caitlin Burton, explained that the model provides a centralized, on-demand medical supply chain. She emphasized that while the U.S. provides initial capital, beneficiary governments will assume long-term operational responsibility, and the unified network is intended to replace multiple disease-specific programs with a single, efficient delivery infrastructure capable of addressing various health challenges.