Côte d'Ivoire Scales AI-Powered Drone Healthcare Logistics Nationwide with Zipline Partnership

Côte d'Ivoire has entered an 8-year public-private partnership with Zipline to dramatically expand its AI-enabled healthcare logistics network. This initiative will see the current single distribution center in Daloa grow to ten nationwide, aiming to serve over 2,200 health facilities and more than 12 million people across the country.

The expansion, supported by Côte d'Ivoire's Ministry of Health and partially funded by a U.S. Department of State award, represents one of Africa's largest national deployments of AI and robotics in healthcare. It aligns with the nation's "Vision 2030" for Universal Health Coverage, focusing on delivering essential medical products like blood, vaccines, and medicines to rural and hard-to-reach areas, even during challenging seasons.

Since its launch in Daloa in 2023, Zipline has already delivered over 3.55 million medical products, including 2 million vaccine doses, saving an estimated 2,058 lives. The new network will integrate warehousing, cold storage, inventory management, autonomous drone delivery, and digital tracking, providing real-time visibility for the Ministry of Health to optimize supply chains, reduce stockouts, and enhance emergency response.

This partnership emphasizes building a self-reliant, efficient health system, with the Ivorian government committing to long-term operational financing. It is also expected to foster a local ecosystem around drones, AI, and autonomous logistics, creating hundreds of skilled jobs and exposing a significant number of students and health workers to advanced technology, thus contributing to economic growth and strengthening state capacity.