Forming a partnership with Zipline, a robotics company based in America and vaccine alliance company Gavi, the UPS Foundation is looking into using drones to deliver blood and vaccines all over the world.

UPS has given an $800,000 grant in order to support the launch of this initiative in Rwanda, reports Logistics Manager.

The reason behind this is that health products are often failing to reach people who desperately need them. Either this, or the materials can have spoiled by the time they reach their intended destination.

It's for these reasons that UPS believes that looking into drone deliveries will provide real benefits.

Intended to start later this year, the Rwandan government will be using drones provided by Zipline to make upwards of 150 deliveries every day.

These will largely be blood deliveries that will be taken to 21 transfusing facilities towards the west side of the country.

Africa has the highest rate of maternal death due to postpartum haemorrhaging, which is why drone-delivered blood supplies are particularly necessary in this part of the world.