U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Rallies Support for Zipline Operations

United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia E. Palmer

The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia E. Palmer, has asked global healthcare players and governments within the sub-region to invest in the operations of Zipline so that it can extend its services more targeted areas throughout the nation.

Ambassador Palmer made this call during a special gathering Omenako, near Suhum to commemorate Zipline’s accomplishments and influence on healthcare accessibility in Ghana, since it began commercial deliveries in 2019.

In a brief speech, Ambassador Palmer praised Zipline for its significant achievements in addressing healthcare challenges with innovative solutions. She stressed the importance of collaboration and encouraged stakeholders, government officials, and the commercial sector to engage in collaborations to adapt and apply drone technology in a variety of disciplines, citing outstanding outcomes from the deployment in healthcare.

“It is beautiful to experience the impactful things you are doing with this technology within the sub-region and in the US. Ghana has marked a good impression as the best reference for successful drone operation and because of the transformational outcomes we have seen so far.

“When we have partnership for impact, we create prosperity, security and jobs. The US is, therefore, committed to building on this success. Already we have signed a grant to have Zipline conduct feasibility studies, increase infrastructure and bolster existing efforts. This demonstrates the US commitment to health growth in Ghana. We call for more investments from other Global healthcare stakeholders to increase the company’s growth” – Ambassador Virginia Palmer

Ambassador Palmer also acknowledged the Ghanaian government’s commitment to harnessing innovative solutions for the benefit of its citizens. She commended their visionary approach and emphasized the transformative nature of the technology that has allowed many Ghanaians access to time sensitive medications.

Since 2019, Zipline has made significant strides in transforming the healthcare sector with successful deliveries essential medical supplies, including COVID-19 immunizations, blood products, animal health commodities, and life-saving drugs, to over 2,700 health facilities throughout Ghana. These efforts the General Manager of Zipline indicates, have positively impacted the lives of an astounding 20 million people.

“The timely and efficient delivery of our services has demonstrated the immense impact of our intervention. Zipline has completed an impressive 370,000 deliveries of medical products, blood supplies, vaccines, and animal health commodities. Our proudest achievement lies in the administration of almost 10 million life-saving vaccinations, ensuring that Ghanaians have seamless access to crucial immunizations. Through our collaboration with the government, we have delivered over 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to healthcare institutions across the country.” – Mawuli Atiemo.

He also expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the government and other stakeholders, stating, “We are immensely grateful for the support and collaboration of our partners, including the Ghanaian government and its agencies – the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, and the World Health Organization. We particularly extend our gratitude to the U.S. Embassy in Ghana, which has provided enormous support since the inception of our operations.”