Africa is turning to drone technology to fill in the gaps in often overburdened and under-resourced healthcare systems, starting with drones.
In Kasungu (Malawi), researchers at the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust (MLW) are using drone footage and GPS coordinates of water bodies rich in mosquito larvae to pinpoint malaria hotspots, sample the water and suggest ways to control the spread of the disease.
Modifying larval habitat, also known as larval source management (LSM), is one of the most effective methods of disease control. However, this approach is often considered impractical, due to the perceived difficulties in identifying target areas. High-resolution drone-mapping could be the solution to this challenge.
The MLW research team programmed drones to monitor mosquito breeding grounds in the central district of Kasungu. Cheap to buy and easy to use, the drones were set to work last year to help scientists map which bodies of water were infested...