We may take it for granted that we have access to the medical care we need when we need it. However, there are still societies around the world where people are forced to make long and dangerous journeys to get there. According to a World Bank study, in rural Africa, only 34% of the population lives within 2 km of a paved road (compared to over 90% in East Asia). As a result, in hard-to-reach areas, supplies are more costly and waiting times for delivery are longer.
In addition, the need for life-saving blood and medical supply deliveries continues to grow in the developing countries, as populations in most countries are growing rapidly. Many children and pregnant and nursing mothers are dying because medical aid is not reaching them, even though their illnesses could be prevented with medicines. In fact, in South Sudan, preventable diseases such as malaria and pneumonia account for about 75% of child deaths, and 1 in 10 children die before their fifth birthday (WHO 2018).
SORA Technology strives to find solutions to these social issues by establishing a new infrastructure in The Sky (SORA). By enabling safe, reliable, and on-demand transportation of goods between multiple locations using drone air mobility, working on emergency small-lot deliveries of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and specimens that are “highly urgent” and “require temperature control” (assuming regular vaccine deliveries), we will contribute to the realization of UHC (Universal Health Coverage) and DX (Digital Transformation) in Asia and Africa.
Improved access to medicines and vaccines in developing countries is also of great benefit to developed countries as well, as it enables local residents to receive prompt and appropriate examination, diagnosis, and treatment, and at the same time reduces the risk of spreading infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and tuberculosis. In the future, we will also consider a delivery business using large drones to realize “Air Mobility Society” where everyone in the world has access to the places and things they need.
