Using drones to improve care for HIV-exposed children in Conakry, Republic of Guinea: Anthropological perspectives

In Conakry, Guinea, like many other African capitals, traffic congestion is a major obstacle to transporting blood samples from peripheral health centres to laboratories where tests are centralised. This situation complicates early HIV testing of HIV-exposed children (i.e., born to HIV-positive mothers), even though the World Health Organization recommends treating HIV-positive children before the age of two months to reduce mortality. The use of drones, which has proved effective in many countries for rapidly transporting healthcare products and reaching isolated areas, could help to resolve these difficulties and improve early detection. A pilot study was conducted from 2020-2021 to assess the feasibility, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of such a strategy. The pilot study had an anthropological component and this article presents the results on the acceptability and perception of using drones to optimise the transport of blood samples in Conakry. Interviews and observations were conducted across six health facilities in Conakry and in various national and international institutions, with 62 people: mothers living with HIV, health professionals and community workers, the local population, health authorities and development workers. The theoretical framework is based on the concepts of innovation and acceptability from an anthropological perspective. The analyses focus on perceptions and conditions of acceptance of a technological innovation such as drones in the healthcare sector. The results show that perceptions of drones are generally positive, despite concerns about their potential misuse. However, this consensus is fragile, knowledge on the subject is sometimes limited and public opinion can vary depending on policy changes in the political and health contexts. Future drone programmes will need to be adapted to the priority health needs identified by local stakeholders, to meet the technical and ethical challenges of this emerging technology and to develop appropriate communication to ensure an optimum level of public support.