Rwanda turns to drones to deliver vital blood supplies

Rwanda has launched a drone delivery network to transport vital blood supplies to far-flung areas of the country. The project will see unmanned aerial vehicles or drones used to deliver small packages by parachute, bypassing traffic or washed-out roads in a country dubbed the Land of a Thousand Hills. It was introduced on Friday in Rwanda's Muhanga district, but is expected to expand to the rest of the country by early 2017. On demand, the drones are expected to make around 150 deliveries of blood to 21 facilities each day, according to Zipline, the company behind the project. Health professionals can order the emergency packages by text message and deliveries will be made in approximately 30 minutes, officials said.