Nigeria's Kaduna pairs with Zipline for drone-delivered COVID vaccines

FILE PHOTO: Flight operators perform pre-flight checks on a drone, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Accra, Ghana April 16, 2020. Picture taken April 16, 2020. Zipline/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigeria's Kaduna state has signed a deal with medical delivery firm Zipline that will allow drone shipment of COVID-19 vaccines without significant state investment in cold-chain storage, the company said on Wednesday.

Kaduna's partnership with Zipline, which delivered more than 1 million doses of other vaccines in Africa over the past year, will also enable on-demand delivery of blood products, medications and other vaccines.