Unicef and Malawi testing drones to bypass unreliable transport
Unicef has been running trials with drones since March 2016 to help make HIV diagnosis in Malawi more rapid. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could cut wait times for test results by transporting blood samples to a central laboratory via air rather than the country's unreliable transport networks.  Unicef has tested UAVs to see if they can carry up to 250 tests, weighing a total of 1kg, in a single journey. With the endorsement of Malawi's government, Unicef is also creating a “drone corridor” to test drones from April 2017 

Drone deliveries are starting to take off. But while Amazon recently tested its first drop-off, of popcorn and a connected TV gadget, to a customer in the United Kingdom, things in Malawi are very different.

Unicef has been trialling how drones can be used to speed-up HIV diagnosis in the African country. By using drones, the organisation says, it is possible to cut waiting times for test results and bypass the "unreliable" transport system.

To prove this was the case, in March the UN's children's' charity started a trial to see if UAVs could be used to carry up to 250 tests (blank for the trial) of 1kg samples.

"We were able to demonstrate all the systems could be put into place to operate UAVs in this specific geographic area," Judith Sherman, Unicef's HIV and drone lead in Malawi tells WIRED. Overall there were 93 autonomous flights across distances of one, five, and 10 kilometere distances and Sherman says "no adverse events" happened at any point.

Now Unicef is expanding its drone work in the country – with the support of the government. It is creating a humanitarian 'drone corridor' for drones to be tested. Starting in April 2017, a space of up to 40km will be used to test drones from existing manufacturers, universities and others. An application process has started.