The world’s first commercial drone delivery service has begun, but it’s probably the last place you’d think it would be: the landlocked African country of Rwanda.

In a partnership between San Francisco-based drone startup Zipline Inc. and the Government of Rwanda, with the support of the UPS Foundation and vaccine fund Gavi, drones operating from the Rwandan district of Muhanga will deliver blood products for 20 hospitals and health centers, improving access to healthcare for millions of Rwandans.

The program works with autonomous drones supplied by Zipline being deployed to remote locations and then delivering, by parachute, the products required in a designated area. The “Zip” drones are able to carry up to 1.5 kg (3.3 pounds) of blood products up to 150 km (93 miles).

According to Recode, postpartum hemorrhaging, or excessive blood loss following the delivery of a new child, is the primary cause of death for new mothers in Rwanda. Local clinics don’t have the resources to keep blood products because they require reliable storage facilities, something that is not available in a country with an average gross domestic product per person of only $638.67.

In addition, transport infrastructure is seriously lacking in the country, with roads prone to flooding, making them inaccessible during the country’s wet season for months at a time. When roads are available, deliveries can take over fours. A Zipline drone can be deployed with a delivery taking place in around 15 to 30 minutes, vital time saved in the event of an emergency.

Humanitarian purposes

While the use of commercial drones is still highly restricted in the United States, the same regulatory issues do not apply in most African countries, making this new service possible. Using drones for humanitarian purposes is also a promising application of the technology, and in this case, it may well save thousands of lives in coming years.

Zipline has plans to expand the service, saying on their website that they will deliver a wide range of medical products in other countries in the future. The company has raised $12 million to date and has among its investors BoxGroup, CrunchFund, Felicis Ventures, Grape Arbor VC, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, PALgenesis, PivotNorth Capital, Sequoia Capital, Stanford University Venture Fund, SV Angel and Techstars.

Image credit: Zipline