Africa CDC and Zipline Unite to Boost Health System Responsiveness and Epidemic Preparedness Across Africa
But here’s where it gets controversial: can drone logistics truly transform health equity across such a vast and diverse continent? The answer lies in a carefully planned collaboration that blends leadership, technology, and local empowerment while facing real-world challenges head-on.
Washington / Addis Ababa, December 11, 2025 — The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and Zipline International, Inc. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance health outcomes and expand economic opportunities across Africa through drone-enabled health logistics. This partnership represents a pivotal move toward Africa’s goal of resilient, technology-driven, and equitable health systems, ensuring life-saving medical products—from vaccines to diagnostics and essential medicines—can reach every community, including those in remote or hard-to-reach areas.
The collaboration aligns with Africa CDC’s Strategic Plan (2023–2027) and Africa’s Health Security and Sovereignty (AHSS) agenda, which emphasize African-led solutions to strengthen institutions, grow local manufacturing, empower the health workforce, and leverage innovation for continental health security. It also supports Africa CDC’s One Health approach and Digital Transformation Strategy, which aim to connect and modernize public health systems across the continent.
Five guiding principles underpin the MoU:
- Member State Ownership and Leadership: All activities are led by AU Member States, coordinated and guided by Africa CDC.
- Equity and Access: The partnership prioritizes underserved, remote, and vulnerable populations.
- Sustainability and Sovereignty: The collaboration strengthens domestic systems, integrates with existing public health infrastructure, and promotes Africa’s health sovereignty, including building local industry capacity.
- Transparency and Accountability: Both parties maintain open communication, shared reporting, and compliance with ethical, legal, and data protection standards.
- Innovation for Impact: Efforts focus on scalable, evidence-based innovations with measurable improvements in epidemic control and service delivery.
Through the MoU, Africa CDC and Zipline will collaborate on strategic initiatives such as capacity building, workforce development, operational research, innovation, epidemic preparedness, emergency response, and technology transfer. The partnership will support integrating drone-based logistics as decided by national governments, strengthen data-driven surveillance and early-warning systems, and coordinate action to maintain service continuity in hard-to-reach and disaster-prone areas.
"This partnership with Zipline goes beyond a logistics innovation; it embodies a commitment to equity, access, and resilience," stated Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of Africa CDC. "By harnessing advanced drone technology, we can connect communities previously cut off from essential health services, empower our health workforce with real-time data and supplies, and build a continent that responds faster, works smarter, and saves more lives."
Under the agreement, Africa CDC will collaborate with Member States, partners, and donors to mobilize political commitment, investment, and collaboration in digital and drone-enabled logistics. Zipline will bring its operational expertise, warehousing capabilities, autonomous aircraft network, and data-driven supply chain management systems to support aerial delivery integration into public health systems across Africa.
"Africa CDC and Zipline are driving a continent-wide shift toward equitable, resilient, and responsive health systems," said Caitlin Burton, Chief Executive Officer of Zipline Africa. "By combining African leadership with Zipline’s technology and expertise, we will strengthen supply chains, empower health workers, improve early-warning systems, and ensure every community has reliable access to care. This is innovation in service of health equity — and of Africa’s future."
Since launching operations in Rwanda in 2016, Zipline has built the world’s largest autonomous delivery network, partnering with governments and health institutions to transform the distribution of essential goods. Its technology now enables last-mile health delivery in multiple African countries, contributing to stronger supply chains, improved health outcomes, faster outbreak detection and response, and economic growth.
The MoU also commits both organizations to ongoing knowledge exchange, advocacy, and technical dialogue, promoting innovation and collaboration through policy forums, joint research, and communications initiatives that showcase Africa’s leadership in health technology and systems resilience.
This partnership supports the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and advances Africa’s shared vision of a prosperous, healthy, and self-reliant continent driven by innovation, partnerships, and technology.
About the Africa CDC
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is a public health agency of the African Union. It operates autonomously to help member states strengthen health systems, improve disease surveillance, coordinate emergency response, and advance disease control. Learn more at http://www.africacdc.org and connect with us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and YouTube.
About Zipline
Zipline is the world’s leading autonomous delivery service. Operating across four continents, Zipline delivers somewhere in the world every 30 seconds and serves more than 5,000 hospitals and health facilities. Zipline’s network has logged over 120 million autonomous miles and supports health systems, retailers, and other partners. Zipline collaborates with governments and philanthropic organizations to improve health outcomes, reduce emissions, and stimulate economic opportunity. Learn more at Zipline.com/Africa.
Media Contacts
Margaret Edwin | Director of Communication and Public Information | EdwinM@africacdc.org
Zipline Media Contacts
Olugbeminiyi Idowu | Talking Drum Communications (on behalf of Zipline) zipline@talkingdrumcomms.com
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