Côte d'Ivoire Partners with Zipline to Launch Africa's Largest AI-Powered Health Logistics Network

The government of Côte d'Ivoire has entered into an eight-year public-private partnership with Zipline to significantly expand its AI-enabled healthcare logistics network. This ambitious project will scale Zipline's operations from one distribution center to ten nationwide, aiming to serve over 2,200 health facilities and more than 12 million people across the country.

The expansion, backed by the Ivorian Ministry of Health and partially funded by a $150 million pay-for-performance award from the U.S. Department of State, represents one of Africa's largest national deployments of AI and robotics in healthcare. It is expected to generate hundreds of skilled jobs and yield a substantial return on investment, contributing to Côte d'Ivoire's "Vision 2030" for universal health coverage.

Zipline's system integrates warehousing, cold storage, inventory management, autonomous drone delivery, and digital tracking, allowing health facilities to order vital supplies like blood products, vaccines, and essential medicines on demand. This real-time system enhances supply chain visibility, reduces stockouts, and improves emergency response, particularly in hard-to-reach rural areas.

This initiative is part of Zipline's broader expansion across Africa, with similar scaling efforts underway in Nigeria and existing operations in Rwanda, Ghana, and Kenya. The funding model, where the U.S. government provides initial infrastructure financing and African governments commit to long-term operational costs, aims to ensure the sustainability and national leadership of these crucial health infrastructure projects.