Drone aircraft are now being used to transport blood, medicine and supplies in southern Africa. Zipline International recently began flying its drones to remote medical centers across Rwanda. The Rwandan government signed a deal to cooperate with the company Zipline. Zipline is based in the United States. The American shipping company United Parcel Service is providing money and operational support for the project. Another partner is Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The organization, launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, provides vaccines to the world’s poorest countries. Rwandan officials say that deliveries of blood and medicine by truck take at least four hours, even under the best conditions. With drones, the trip can be completed in as little as 15 minutes. The World Health Organization (WHO) says Africa has the world’s highest rate of pregnancy deaths resulting from bleeding. This makes the availability of blood and transfusions very important for women across the continent, it says.