KENYA— Zipline, a global drone delivery & logistics company, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and Kisumu County Government have partnered to ensure that the delivery of life-saving HIV commodities gets to young persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) in Kisumu County.
The three-year-long partnership will see automated drones from Zipline, deliver self-test kits, PrEP treatment, educational materials, Antiretrovirals, and other HIV commodities to the community distribution points frequented by young people.
Unconventionally, these points include nightclubs, sports fields, schools, and events, thus allowing youth to manage their health needs outside of a traditional clinical setting.
Once the program is fully set up adolescents and young adults are encouraged to place orders via community health workers, and peer educators supported by the project.
The project aims to support; 14500 young people to test for HIV, allow at least 8,000 at-risk adolescents to start PrEP, and allow 1,000 adolescents living with HIV to start treatment.
Prof. Anyang Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu County said, “Over the past seven years, Zipline has shown that when you give access to its instant logistics and delivery system to health centers you can significantly improve the quality of care, patient outcomes, and the satisfaction of health care workers.”
Prof. Nyong’o said that he believes that by bringing Zipline’s critical infrastructure to Kenya, the county could strengthen its health system, give people the medicines they need when they need them, and better educate young people who can make better, healthier choices.
Anne Aslett, Chief Executive Officer of the Elton John AIDS Foundation said that when the right information and services directly engage youth where they are, they make better, safer choices.
“Equal access to proper medication is vital in ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Through this historic partnership with Zipline and community-based partners, we can better provide necessary medications when and where they are needed, outside of conventional health settings and in the areas young people frequent most,” said Aslett.
Partners working hard to end global AIDS by 2030
The United Nations Organizations to Fight AIDS (UNAIDS) reports that Kenya has the third largest HIV epidemic in the world, with an estimated 1.3 to 1.7 million people living with HIV as of 2020, and unfortunately, 42% of new HIV cases are among young people aged 15-24.
However, the number of young people living with HIV in Kenya fell from 180,000 in 2010 to 111,500 in 2020, partly due to improved access to services, including for more pregnant women.
Although, infection rates among young people (15-24) remain concerning, with two-thirds of cases among young women.
In Kisumu, one of the worst-affected counties, gender inequality, difficulties in accessing services, and poverty are fuelling high rates of unintended pregnancies and HIV.
Economic burdens that are placed on adolescents that do not have parents to provide the means for their education and well-being is another problem for the group.
Sadly, adolescents are forced into being sex workers to provide for themselves, resulting in an increased risk for HIV infection.
Championing the fight to end HIV since 1992
The Elton John AIDS Foundation was founded by British musician Elton John in 1992 at the very height of the HIV epidemic.
In its third decade, the NGO notes that it continues to work in the most challenging countries and contexts, at all levels to influence, and change with local partners for local solutions, at national and international levels.
“If we can find the love as a global community to agree that every life has equal value, if we can summon the compassion to provide treatment and prevention for everyone living with HIV – and I mean everyone, no matter who they are, where they live, or how rich or poor they may be – we can end AIDS forever,” said Elton John.
The foundation adds that its pioneering new ways of reaching young people, bringing them non-judgemental services and honest, accurate health information right into young people’s hands wherever they are.
Reaching the most far-flung
The first-ever drone delivery program in Kenya, Zipline will offer Kisumu’s youth a way to order affordable medical supplies and sexual health products directly and confidentially like condoms or home STI tests.
The new approach will cut long waits and complex supply chains between young people and the products they need, helping them take charge of their health.
An analysis of health facilities served by three of Zipline’s distribution centers in Ghana found that the Zipline system is meaningfully contributing to the government’s work to expand healthcare across the country.
“Our instant delivery service streamlines supply chains, allowing governments and health providers to bring care to people when they need it,” said Winfred Njeri Muiruri, Head of Zipline Kenya.
To increase access and reduce medical waste, stocks of blood products, vaccines, and life-saving medications will be stored at Zipline’s distribution center for just-in-time delivery.
Health workers will place orders by text message or call and promptly receive their deliveries exactly when and where they need them in approximately 30 minutes.
Kenya marks Zipline’s fifth country of operation in Africa, following operations in Ghana, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire. young
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