in the battle for universal health coverage.

UHC means providing the care people need

without imposing a financial burden.

But right now only half the world's population

have access to essential health services.

And of those who do, about 100m are

being pushed into poverty just to pay for them.

Here are five innovations that could help plug

the gaps in global healthcare.

Innovation number one, drones.

California-based company Zipline is setting up

the world's largest drone network in Ghana.

The goal is to deliver urgent medical supplies

in minutes instead of hours.

Two thousand clinics are signed up to the service,

providing emergency care for up to 12m Ghanaians.

Along with its sister project in Rwanda,

the network is expected to save tens of thousands

of lives over the next few years alone.

Innovation two, mobile health.

Apps and text messaging services are now

helping millions of people manage chronic diseases,

screen for cancer, and even quit smoking.

The Be He@lthy, Be Mobile service works in 11 countries.

It makes users more aware of risks

from non-communicable diseases which

account for 71 per cent of global deaths.

One programme targeting smokers has more than 2m users in India

alone.

Seventy-five per cent of participants

said the service was helpful.

And in one survey, 19 per cent said

they hadn't smoked for at least 30 days.

Innovation number three, self-testing.

HIV self-testing kits are now available in 77 countries.

They're part of a global initiative to reach the 8.1m

people who are living with HIV, but are unaware they have

the infection.

A million self tests were carried out in 2017.

And it's hoped that that figure will grow to well over 16m

by the end of 2020, making the goal of ending Aids

by 2030 a real possibility.

Innovation four, data management.

Estonia has digitised 99 per cent of its health data.

Every clinic is connected and health records

can be securely accessed by health providers and patients

anywhere in the country.

That means 99 per cent of prescriptions

can be issued digitally giving GPs more time

to see their patients.

And ambulance crews have almost instant access

to patient histories, saving vital time in an emergency.

1.3m Estonians are in the national database.

And so far the system has run 11 years without a major security

breach.

Innovation number five, new healthcare models.

Clinicas del Azucar is a private clinic

that offers specialised care to some of Mexico's 14m diabetics.

It's looking to plug the gap between the country's

private and public healthcare systems

by offering a patient-tailored service priced somewhere

between the two.

Everything from diagnostics to aftercare

is run out of the same space.

Overall, the system has reduced appointment times by up to 80

per cent, cut patients' annual costs by 75 per cent,

and lowered their diabetes complication rates

by 60 per cent.

Technology alone won't be able to deliver healthcare

for everyone.

But these innovations, and others like them,

have the potential to revolutionise

the world's healthcare systems.

They could even help shape entirely new ones of their own.