Working with UNICEF on drone delivery for vulnerable communities

The collaboration between UNICEF and CIELUM (presented in some earlier materials as Dronfies Labs) can be understood as a long-term process aimed at building the technological, operational and regulatory capabilities needed for drones to serve as critical infrastructure for vulnerable communities. It was not limited to a one-off pilot. It followed a gradual evolution: from developing capabilities to manage low-altitude airspace and coordinate drone operations, to implementing Uruguay's first health drone delivery pilot.

The starting point was a shared vision: using emerging technologies to solve real access problems. In emergencies, in isolated territories or where connectivity is low, the most vulnerable communities often struggle most to receive essential services. UNICEF recognised early on that drones could play a meaningful role in reaching hard-to-access areas quickly, covering large areas in little time, and generating or transporting critical information. In that context, CIELUM developed solutions to coordinate drone operations, share data in real time and enable a safer, more orderly and more accessible use of this technology where traditional infrastructure is not always enough.

The first stage of the collaboration focused on developing systems to manage and coordinate drone operations. CIELUM worked on an unmanned traffic management (UTM) platform designed to share information in real time, coordinate multiple operators and manage low-altitude airspace safely. UNICEF highlighted that the platform allowed local authorities to set no-fly zones, register volunteer operators, coordinate simultaneous operations and support search and rescue missions or the delivery of critical supplies, such as water and medicines, in hard-to-reach areas.

This work mattered because drone delivery does not depend on drones alone. Operating safely and sustainably requires complementary capabilities: coordination with aviation authorities, route management, traceability, operating protocols, weather information, trained pilots, integration with user institutions and risk control mechanisms. The collaboration with UNICEF made it possible to advance that layer of digital and operational infrastructure, creating the conditions to move from isolated technology demonstrations to services with real potential for continuity.

In a second stage, the work evolved towards concrete health applications. With support from the UNICEF Venture Fund, CIELUM developed a new module within its UTM system to enable drone delivery operations, making it possible to manage more complex operations while staying compliant with airspace regulators. That step was the technological foundation for moving from the concept of air coordination to an operational network of health deliveries by drone.

The most visible result of this evolution was the pilot carried out in Tacuarembó, Uruguay. UNICEF described the initiative as using drones to transport medical supplies (including medicines, blood samples and donated breast milk) from Tacuarembó Hospital to rural communities such as Tambores, Curtina and Ansina. The initiative was presented as a pioneering experience in Latin America, using unmanned electric drones flown by trained pilots, able to carry up to 3 kilograms and 15 litres of medical supplies within a flight range of up to 100 kilometres.

The logic of the pilot was deeply social. It was not just about moving objects through the air, but about reducing access barriers for people who live far from urban centres. In rural communities, a medical sample, an urgent medicine or donated breast milk may require long journeys, delays or costs that directly affect the timeliness of care. Using drones made it possible to explore an alternative that shortens diagnosis and treatment times, bringing the health system closer to territories where physical distance often turns into inequality.

Institutionally, the pilot was integrated with Tacuarembó's primary care network, with the departmental hospital as its central hub. UNICEF noted that the planned routes initially reached three rural polyclinics and that there were plans to expand to ten additional points, as well as to install smart weather stations to provide real-time data on flight conditions. This shows that the collaboration was not conceived as an isolated demonstration, but as a scalable process designed to integrate progressively into existing health infrastructure.

One of the pilot's symbolic milestones was the inaugural flight between Tambores and the city of Tacuarembó, which carried one litre of donated breast milk to the milk bank. According to the story published by the UNICEF Venture Fund, the local community watched the take-off with emotion, in a town of around 1,500 people that often receives little attention or investment in cutting-edge technology. This is central to the case: the collaboration helped show that advanced innovation does not have to concentrate in large urban centres, but can be designed to reach first those who face the greatest barriers to access.

UNICEF's support also mattered beyond funding. CIELUM saw the Venture Fund's backing as strategic support in impact, business and user experience. Regular meetings and mentoring helped refine the value proposition, keep the focus on objectives and strengthen the ability to sustain and expand operations. The connection with UNICEF Uruguay was also seen as an asset for future collaborations, showing that the value of the relationship included financial capital, institutional legitimacy, impact know-how and links with other actors in the ecosystem.

In perspective, the UNICEF–CIELUM case can be presented as a long-term collaboration to build national and regional capabilities in health air logistics. The first stage worked on digital infrastructure: UTM, multi-operator coordination, airspace management, real-time data and operation in low-connectivity settings. In the second stage, those capabilities became a concrete drone delivery solution for rural health, with routes, pilots, protocols, medical cargo and coordination with health providers. In a third stage, the learning points towards scale: expanding routes, consolidating corridors, adding weather stations, increasing flight frequency and replicating the model in other territories or countries.

The greatest value of the case is that it combines technological innovation with verifiable social impact. CIELUM brought technical capabilities, operational experience and a platform for managing unmanned air operations. UNICEF brought funding, strategic support, a focus on vulnerable communities and international validation of the approach. Together, they made it possible to move from the technological promise of drones to a real case of strengthening the health system, aimed at rural communities and people who face barriers to access.

In short, the collaboration between UNICEF and CIELUM shows that drone delivery can be more than a logistics innovation: it can become a tool for territorial equity. The development of the UTM, the building of operational capabilities and the health pilot in Uruguay form a coherent path of technological and institutional maturity. The experience leaves in place a foundation for future medical drone delivery networks that can complement health systems, support emergency response and bring essential services closer to communities that have historically been furthest from traditional infrastructure.

Sources

1. UNICEF Office of Innovation — Dronfies Labs: Drone management systems for low connectivity settings, 6 December 2019.
   https://www.unicef.org/innovation/venturefund/dronescohort/DronfiesLabs

2. UNICEF Venture Fund — Healthcare Delivery: Dronfies pilots Uruguay's First Drone Delivery Network.
   https://www.unicefventurefund.org/story/healthcare-delivery-dronfies-pilots-uruguays-first-drone-delivery-network

3. UNICEF Office of Innovation — Strengthening health systems to reach remote communities, 27 July 2023.
   https://www.unicef.org/innovation/stories/strengthening-health-systems-reach-remote-communities