Centre launches ICMR’s drone-based vaccine delivery model ‘i-Drone’ in North East

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched ICMR’s Drone Response and Outreach in North East (i-Drone) here on October 04, 2021. The delivery model is aimed at ensuring that life-saving vaccines reach everyone. The i-Drone has been developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

i-Drone stands for ICMR’s Drone Response and Outreach in North East.

The main objective of this tool is to facilitate vaccine delivery to tough and hard-to-reach terrains of India and to improve healthcare accessibility to the last mile. Currently, the drone-based delivery project is being implemented in Manipur, Nagaland, and the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Island.

ICMR collaborated with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur for conducting an initial study to test the capacity of drones to carry and transfer vaccines safely.