In a powerful validation of Ghana’s investment in health-tech, the National Blood Service (NBS) has revealed that Zipline Ghana successfully executed over 4,000 emergency drone deliveries in 2025. Presenting the 2025 Annual Performance Review in Accra, NBS CEO Dr. Shirley Phyllis Ohenewa Owusu-Ofori described the partnership as "indispensable" for
achieving equitable healthcare across Ghana’s diverse geography.
The data shows that drone technology has moved from a "pilot project" to a core pillar of Ghana’s emergency medical supply chain, specifically targeting the "golden hour" for critical patients.
1. 2025 Operations: By the Numbers
The NBS report highlights a year of high-frequency, high-impact logistics that bypassed traditional road bottlenecks.
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Total Deliveries: 4,314 lifesaving drone flights.
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Volume: Over 5,000 units of blood and blood products transported.
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Reach: 96 health facilities nationwide, many in "hard-to-reach" districts with poor road networks.
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Response Time: Blood products are now dispatched within minutes of an emergency request, drastically reducing the turnaround time for transfusions.
2. Clinical Impact: Solving the "Maternal Mortality" Gap
Dr. Owusu-Ofori emphasized that the speed of drone delivery has transformed outcomes for four primary emergency categories:
| Emergency Category | Role of Drone Delivery |
| Postpartum Haemorrhage | Providing instant blood supply to mothers bleeding after childbirth in rural clinics. |
| Severe Anaemia | Rapidly replenishing hemoglobin levels in pediatric and adult patients. |
| Trauma & Accidents | Delivering O-Negative (universal donor) blood to roadside clinics following road traffic accidents. |
| Paediatric Emergencies | Ensuring children in remote areas receive life-saving transfusions without waiting for a four-wheel-drive vehicle. |
3. "Red Saturday" and the 12-Country Mobilization
Zipline’s role expanded beyond delivery to include massive logistical support during the "Red Saturday" initiative in November 2025. This Africa-wide campaign saw Ghana exceed its national mobilization target.
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Last-Mile Support: Zipline provided the technical infrastructure to move collected units from remote donation sites to central processing hubs instantly.
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Pan-African Context: Ghana was a leader among the 12 participating countries, using the drone network to raise awareness and prove that "blood security" is a solvable logistical challenge.
4. A Call for Private Sector "Digitalization"
While celebrating the Zipline success, the CEO noted that the NBS still faces significant bottlenecks. She urged more private sector organizations to follow Zipline's lead in supporting blood management digitalization.
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The Goal: A fully digitalized national blood registry that tracks every unit from "vein to vein."
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Multi-sectoral Collaboration: Strengthening regional centers to ensure that location or distance never dictates a patient’s survival.
The Bottom Line
The 2025 Performance Review proves that Zipline is the "Logistics Reset" the National Blood Service needed. By filling the critical gap left by "bitumen-only" transport, the drone system ensures that "no patient is denied life-saving blood due to location." As the NBS looks toward 2026, the focus shifts to expanding this technological footprint to every corner of the 16 regions.
