Kenya – A new initiative is using AI-powered drones to identify and eliminate mosquito breeding grounds in Ghana and Sierra Leone, in a bid to prevent malaria outbreaks.
At dawn in Busia County, western Kenya, 10-year-old Angela Wanjiru lies motionless on a wooden bench in front of a rural dispensary. Her fever is high, and her mother anxiously fans her with a creased piece of cardboard. This is Angela’s third malaria attack in three months, a deadly cycle that is well known to families in this mosquito-infested region.
SORA Technology co-founder and CEO Yosuke Kaneko says the idea came out of his own experiences in Africa. “I was shocked at how many children still die from malaria, which can be prevented and cured. We thought that if we could add AI and aerial monitoring to the mix, we could end the cycle.”
He added: “Drones allow us to access areas that health personnel often have difficulty reaching in a timely manner, safely and with accuracy that does make a real difference.”
Kaneko says his team works in close proximity with ministries of health, community leadership and local drone pilots. “The technology only works if the people it’s supposed to help trust it. That’s why training locals and building capacity in-country is at the core of what we do.”
Prevention rather than cure
Dr. Margaret Njeri, an epidemiologist in Nairobi, sees this initiative as a breakthrough. “We’ve relied on bed nets and medication for decades. Those are still important, but they’re not enough. This kind technology is what we’ve been seeking.”
Source: https://www.msn.com/en-xl/technology/hardware-and-devices/africa-how-technology-is-helping-african-countries-fight-malaria-from-the-skies/ar-AA1GNr6p?ocid=BingNewsVerp