The Department of Health Policy, Management, and Economics at the School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in partnership with Zipline Ghana, a leading drone delivery service operator, has awarded a total of Ten Thousand dollars ($10,000) to support two innovative student-led research projects.
The initiative, which began in 2023, seeks to promote research on how drone technology can strengthen healthcare systems across Ghana.
According to Mr Daniel Kweku Merki, Zipline Ghana’s President, the first cohort of students received a $7,000 grant to explore how drone logistics enhance health equity and reproductive health in the Ashanti Region.
He revealed that they were encouraged by the outcomes of the study and decided to increase this year’s grant to $10,000 to fund two new projects on micronutrient accessibility for pregnant women in Ashanti and vaccine delivery in the Upper East and Upper West regions.
Mr Merki described the collaboration as one that sits at the intersection where knowledge meets application. He added that the awards are not just about celebrating research projects but also investing in the ecosystem that will define Africa’s technological future.
“The future of healthcare, logistics and sustainability depends on partnerships like this where ideas are tested, data is shared, and young innovators are empowered to act. These are exactly the kind of evidence-based studies that help policymakers and practitioners understand what works, why it works and how to replicate it”, he stated.
Dr Peter Twum, Head of the Department of Health Policy, Management, and Economics, congratulated the recipients for their hard work and determination.
“We are proud of you for doing such wonderful work”, he said
Dr Twum further noted that the collaboration with Zipline reflects both institutions' shared goal of improving access to affordable healthcare in rural Ghana. He also appealed to Zipline to support the department with logistics and computers to enhance its academic and operational work.
“It was appropriate that we collaborate with Zipline, whose objective is to ensure that there is easy access to affordable medicine,” he revealed
Dr Joseph Kwasi Brenyah, Department of Global and International Health, also commended the students for their insightful presentations and encouraged Zipline to recommend areas of operational challenge that could be explored through research.
He hoped that in future, Zipline would increase the number of student slots under the partnership to expand opportunities for learning and innovation.
