Learnings from this model will inform efforts to combat HIV/AIDS across Nigeria, where the federal government recently announced its intent to scale up Zipline infrastructure nationwide. The Elton John AIDS Foundation is one of the first financial backers of this bold vision, which will help Nigeria dramatically improve healthcare access and equity.
More than 1.9 million people in Nigeria are living with HIV, with young people aged 15 to 24 making up 41% of new infections. Yet only about 1 in 10 are on antiretroviral therapy, a medicine that prevents people with HIV from dying of AIDS and ensures the virus cannot be passed on to others.
This mismatch in need and care provision is in part due to Nigeria's well-documented supply chain challenges. Shortages of items essential for the prevention, testing and treatment of HIV/AIDS, such as condoms, test kits and medications, prevent reliable delivery of high-quality services. With no inventory on hand, clinicians, pharmacists and NGOs are often unable to inform patients about their options or provide necessary care. Better inventory management practices, AI-driven logistics and real-time data tracking - all capabilities inherent in Zipline's delivery system - can transform the availability and quality of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services in the country.
"Research on the impact of Zipline's operations in Rwanda and Ghana has shown that on-demand delivery all but guarantees treatment is available where patients seek it, and this has had a transformative effect on health outcomes for maternal mortality and vaccination coverage," said Caitlin Burton, Senior Vice President of Partnerships at Zipline. "We're partnering with the Elton John AIDS Foundation to understand how a more agile supply chain can help health systems reach more young people, who visit health facilities at lower rates, but have a huge need for healthcare, especially for sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention."
"Building on Zipline and the Elton John AIDS Foundation's highly successful partnership in Kenya, we are incredibly excited to be able to expand this work in Nigeria," said Dr. Lindsay Hayden, Senior Portfolio Lead at the Elton John AIDS Foundation. "Our continued collaboration will deliver essential physical and mental health services - including contraceptives, PrEP, HIV tests, and medication - to high-risk youth, including the LGBTQ+ adolescents and young women, at locations that are convenient to them. By leveraging Zipline's cutting-edge delivery infrastructure, the Foundation is providing a modern, convenient, and comprehensive 'one-stop shop' for youth care in Africa."
Beyond supply chain disruptions, stigma and discrimination present additional barriers to care in Nigeria. As such, the program prioritizes deliveries to community-based organizations (CBOs) where young people gather. In Nigeria, CBOs meet a broad array of healthcare needs. Bringing services and supplies that support sexual and reproductive health directly into these trusted settings will enable safe, convenient and consistent access to care.
While addressing the physical health needs of youth is necessary, it is not sufficient in ensuring their holistic wellbeing. Indeed, mental health care and HIV are syndemic: poor mental health quadruples the risk of acquiring HIV and negatively affects treatment outcomes. LGBTQ+ youth are particularly vulnerable, facing higher rates of anxiety, depression and suicide attempts. This initiative has embedded mental health screening alongside sexual and reproductive health and HIV care, in an environment where mental health services remain severely limited.
The program envisioned by Zipline and the Elton John AIDS Foundation brings together a consortium of partners to meet the needs of young people in Nigeria:
- Heartland Alliance (HALG) and Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS) to engage peer networks that can grow demand for HIV services,
- StrongMinds to ensure that those at risk for HIV are receiving mental health screenings,
- DrugStoc to make it easy for young adults to get medication refills discreetly with encrypted digital vouchers, and
- Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) to advocate for meaningful policy changes that will help secure long-term success of this program.
By increasing convenience, awareness, privacy, breadth of services, and reliability of care, this new partnership aims to transform HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment among an especially vulnerable population. Like in Kenya, it's our hope that this partnership will serve as a blueprint for better addressing the needs of adolescents and young people across Nigeria.
About Zipline: Zipline was founded to create the first logistics system that serves all humans equally. We design, manufacture and operate the world's largest autonomous logistics system that is used every day by businesses, governments and consumers. The technology is complex, and includes autonomous, electric drones, but the idea is simple: a teleportation service that delivers what you need, when you need it in a way that's faster, cheaper and greener than automotive delivery. Zipline operates on four continents, has flown more than 90 million autonomous miles, and has delivered tens of millions of items since 2016. The company currently completes an autonomous drone delivery every 65 seconds. For more information, please visit www.flyzipline.com.
About Elton John AIDS Foundation: The Elton John AIDS Foundation was established in 1992 and is one of the leading independent AIDS organizations in the world. The Foundation's mission is simple: an end to the AIDS epidemic. The Elton John AIDS Foundation is committed to overcoming the stigma, discrimination and neglect that keep us from ending AIDS. With the mobilization of our network of generous supporters and partners, we fund local experts across four continents to challenge discrimination, prevent infections, and provide treatment as well as influencing governments to end AIDS. https://www.eltonjohnaidsfoundation.org/ and @ejaf on Instagram.
CONTACT: Mary Pavlu, mary.pavlu@eltonjohnaidsfoundation.org
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