The United States government has announced a landmark $150 million commitment to scale up drone delivery of medical supplies across five African countries, in what officials describe as a transformative partnership with Zipline, the world’s leading autonomous logistics company.
The agreement—built on a new pay-for-performance model—has the potential to triple the number of hospitals and health centres served by Zipline from 5,000 to 15,000, offering nearly 130 million people instant access to blood, vaccines, and essential medications.
The initiative represents the U.S. State Department’s most ambitious investment yet in AI-driven logistics, robotics, and autonomous delivery services.
It is also the department’s first foreign assistance programme designed to reward performance, with funds released only when African governments sign expansion contracts and commit to long-term utilisation fees.
Under the arrangement, African governments will collectively pay up to $400 million in service fees as buyers of the technology—an approach intended to ensure sustainability, deepen local ownership of the health supply chain, and anchor the infrastructure in domestic budgets.
A logistics revolution powered by AI
Zipline’s autonomous drone network has become one of Africa’s most celebrated innovations since its launch in Rwanda in 2016. The company has completed 1.8 million autonomous deliveries with no safety incidents, its U.S.-designed aircraft ferrying blood, antimalarials, maternal health supplies, antivenoms, and vaccines across some of the continent’s most challenging terrains.
Independent evaluations have documented extraordinary impacts: maternal mortality cut by up to 56% in Zipline-supported facilities; medicine and vaccine stockouts reduced by 60%; and immunisation rates rising by 13 to 37 percentage points in the communities they serve.
One study found Zipline to be among the most cost-effective immunisation interventions ever assessed.
In areas previously plagued by slow and unreliable supply chains—where deliveries of essential items could take as long as 13 days—Zipline has slashed delivery times to under 30 minutes.
Government ministries in Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and other countries have for years procured Zipline’s services using public funds, citing improved health outcomes and reduced wastage from expired or spoiled medical stock.
This new U.S. funding seeks to multiply these gains by strengthening Zipline’s AI, robotics, and operational backbone, enabling 24/7 distribution of medical commodities across wider regions and increasingly urban environments.
“We started Zipline to build a logistics system that serves all people equally,” said Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, Zipline’s CEO and Co-Founder.
“Today, the U.S. government is doubling down on our work and using our AI, robotics and autonomous logistics system to improve health outcomes. Presidents and prime ministers have told me they want the best of what America has to offer—innovation, jobs, and 21st-century technology to leapfrog into the future. That has always been America’s unique value proposition, and today the State Department is making that happen.”
An ‘America first’ investment strategy in global health
Under Secretary of State for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs and Religious Freedom Jeremy Lewin described the partnership as a flagship example of the “results-driven, America First foreign assistance agenda.”
“With modest U.S. capital investment support, these five countries will become responsible for maintaining and continuing to invest in a transformative American-built health commodities supply chain network,” Lewin said.
“By catalysing private capital, incentivising local buy-in, and championing American businesses, President Trump’s foreign assistance agenda is bringing developing economies into the 21st century and helping America win the race for the technologies of tomorrow.”
The partnership marks a new era of commercial diplomacy that leverages cutting-edge American innovation to tackle global health challenges—especially those linked to slow, analogue supply chains that have historically undermined Africa’s medical delivery systems.
The State Department expects Rwanda to be the first country to sign an expansion agreement under the programme.
African govts embrace expansion: “It Works”
African governments already working with Zipline were quick to endorse the expanded partnership, emphasising the reliability and life-saving potential of the technology.
Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, said the country’s long-standing partnership with Zipline had already yielded dramatic benefits.
“We have witnessed the extraordinary impact of drone delivery—saving time, saving money, and saving lives,” she said. “With this partnership, we will now expand to urban delivery, bringing these benefits to even more communities. We thank the U.S. Government for supporting Zipline’s expansion and joining us in building the foundation for Africa’s future in healthcare and innovation.”
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has also seen measurable gains from drone delivery across three states.
“With more than 200 million people, Nigeria faces unique challenges and opportunities in delivering healthcare equitably and efficiently,” said Muhammad Ali Pate, the country’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
“Zipline has eliminated stockouts, created new service points even where no facility exists, increased visits, and improved treatment outcomes. We applaud the U.S. Government’s support for innovations that can advance our vision for a healthier, more equitable future.”
Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage, Pierre Dimba, said medical drone delivery has strengthened the country’s health sovereignty.
“We have seen shorter supply times, improved availability of vital products, and stronger capacities at our health facilities. This partnership aligns with our vision of a modern, resilient system capable of innovating to meet tomorrow’s needs.”
Local jobs and permanent infrastructure
Each new Zipline hub constructed under the U.S.-Africa partnership will serve as a permanent logistics centre anchored in local communities and staffed entirely by nationals of the respective countries.
These hubs are expected to create skilled jobs in engineering, data analysis, aviation operations, and fleet management—areas that align with many African governments’ aspirations for a digital economy.
The funds will be disbursed only after governments sign binding expansion commitments, a safeguard designed to ensure African countries retain full ownership and accountability over their expanded health logistics networks.
“This award backs the vision of African leaders and their domestic investments,” said Caitlin Burton, CEO of Zipline Africa operations.
“It will forever change the trajectory of human health and development in Africa.”
Toward a global autonomous logistics infrastructure
Although autonomous drone logistics currently reach less than 1% of the global population, the State Department believes the Zipline model could be replicated worldwide.
The pay-for-results approach—funding what works, rewarding measurable outcomes, and ensuring long-term domestic responsibility—could set a precedent for future foreign aid, philanthropy, and public-private partnerships.
“What began in 2016 as a ‘crazy experiment’ is now being embraced by the world’s largest government,” Cliffton noted. “With the support of America and Africa, autonomous logistics is becoming the backbone of tomorrow’s infrastructure.”
As governments in Africa expand the operations of Zipline under the new programme, autonomous delivery networks may soon become as essential to public health as ambulance services and national blood banks.
Millions stand to benefit as the continent bets on cutting-edge American innovation to accelerate its next generation of health outcomes.
