An impact assessment of the use of aerial logistics to improve access to vaccines in the Western-North Region of Ghana

Abstract

Background: Prevention of infectious diseases among children is crucial to improve child health and survival. However, many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa struggle to achieve vaccination targets due to supply chain challenges, which lead to vaccine shortages, stockouts, and increased costs. We evaluated the effects of aerial logistics (centralized storage and delivery by drones) on vaccine stock, stockouts, vaccination coverage and vaccine preventable outcomes in the Western North Region of Ghana.

Methods: The study combined retrospective quasi-experimental and cross-sectional designs to evaluate supply chain, programmatic, and clinical outcomes. Surveys to health providers were used to collect information from a random sample of 156 facilities, and secondary data on vaccination coverage and clinical outcomes was analyzed at the district level for the years 2017-2021.

Results: Facilities served by aerial logistics reported significant reductions in the duration of vaccine stockouts (30 %, p-value < 0.05), as well as in the frequency of missed opportunities for vaccination (44 %, p-value < 0.05). Being served by aerial logistics was associated with increased satisfaction with access to vaccines. Significant differences in vaccination coverage were found for most vaccines, in a range between 13.1 and 37.5 percentage points in vaccination coverage for served districts. Infectious diarrhea cases in children between 5 and 9 years old were reduced by 41.6 % (p-value < 0.05).

Conclusion: End-to-end aerial logistics appears as an effective tool to improve the performance of the supply chain for vaccines. The strategy potentially increases the resilience of the health system and contributes to increased vaccination coverage and higher levels of satisfaction among providers in the Western North Region of Ghana.

Keywords: Aerial logistics; Africa; Drones; Ghana; Impact; Vaccine delivery.