The 10th annual Drone Show Korea (DSK) kicked off on February 26, 2025, at BEXCO in Busan, South Korea. This year’s event gathered 306 companies from 15 different countries to showcase new developments in drone technology across various fields, including healthcare.
A major topic at the show was how drones can help with medical logistics, especially in areas with poor infrastructure. Dr. Yi Zhang, a Health Economist at the World Bank, gave a keynote speech about how drones could help improve healthcare in developing countries. He pointed out that in these regions, inadequate infrastructure and limited funding often result in significant health disparities, such as lower life expectancies and higher rates of maternal mortality. Drones could play a vital role in overcoming these challenges by making it easier to deliver essential medical supplies to remote locations.
Zambia was highlighted as a real-world example. With a population of 20.7 million, Zambia faces significant hurdles in delivering healthcare, particularly in rural areas where paved roads are scarce. Seasonal rains make access even tougher, leading to delayed deliveries of medical supplies. While Zambia’s “Flying Doctor” Service has provided air medical services, issues such as bad weather and high fuel prices have limited its effectiveness. Drones could offer a more reliable solution, drastically cutting down delivery times. For instance, transporting blood between hospitals that usually takes up to 10 hours by road could be reduced to just three hours using drones.
Bringing drones into healthcare systems requires careful planning, including examining technology, regulations, and training. Modeling and simulation are key to making smart decisions about how to set up drone networks and what they need to carry, ensuring that operations run smoothly even in challenging weather.
Drone Show Korea 2025 remains an important event for discussing innovative uses of drone technology. The information shared at the conference highlights drones’ potential to make medical services more efficient and accessible, especially in underserved areas.
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