Pilot trials in rural Ghana validated the efficiency of the proposed approach over existing malaria control methods

SORA Technology Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagoya, Japan; Founder & CEO: Yosuke Kaneko; hereafter “SORA Technology”), which provides advanced drone and AI solutions across public health, agriculture, and climate resilience, announced that the research outcomes related to Larval Source Management (LSM) for malaria vector control utilizing drone and AI technologies, as proposed by SORA Technology, have been published in PLOS One, an internationally recognized, peer-reviewed open-access academic journal.

This research implemented our proposed drone- and AI-enabled approach in rural Ghana and conducted a comparative analysis against conventional labor-intensive methods implemented in parallel within the same region, evaluating both effectiveness and cost efficiency.

Background of the Research

Malaria remains a serious public health challenge in many countries and regions worldwide. LSM, which focuses on controlling water bodies where mosquito larvae develop, is recognized as one of the effective malaria control measures. However, conventional LSM approaches rely heavily on manual labor, making it difficult to implement them continuously and at scale across wide geographic areas.

Overview of the Research

In this research, we proposed and evaluated a new LSM operational model that integrates the following components:
– High-resolution aerial imaging using drones
– Efficient detection of water bodies supported by AI
– Automated identification by AI of water bodies with a high risk of mosquito larval breeding
– Guidance of on-site spraying personnel based on the geospatial data obtained through the above processes
– Comparative evaluation of working time, costs, and operational efficiency based on field demonstrations

Through pilot trials conducted in the Kwaebibirem area of Ghana, the proposed approach demonstrated malaria infection reduction and mosquito population control effects comparable to those of conventional methods, while achieving confirmed improvements in operational efficiency and the efficiency of larvicide application.

This research was conducted as a collaborative study with University of Ghana Business School and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST; Grant No. JPMJTT23J4).

Publication Information

Title: Field evaluation of drone and AI assisted larval source management in Ghana
Journal: PLOS One
Authors: Godfred A. Bokpin¹, Francis A. Adzei², Samuel Dadzie³, Masaki Umeda⁴, Juhoe Kim⁴
Affiliations:
¹ University of Ghana Business School
² Takemi Program in International Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
³ Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana
⁴ SORA Technology Ltd., Nagoya, Japan
Corresponding Author: Juhoe Kim
Publication Date: February 4, 2:00 pm EST
Paper URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.03406902026 

Future Outlook

Through this research, it has been demonstrated that the drone- and AI-enabled malaria control approach proposed by SORA Technology can achieve a level of effectiveness comparable to that of conventional methods, while significantly reducing the required human resources and the volume of larvicides used.

Going forward, we aim to further advance automation through continuous improvements in AI performance. At the same time, we will strengthen systems for collecting key indicators that measure the impact of malaria control interventions, such as mosquito population density and the number of malaria cases. Through these efforts, we seek not only to enhance operational efficiency but also to achieve measurable improvements in overall intervention effectiveness.

Company Profile

Company Name: SORA Technology Co., Ltd.
Headquarters: 2-14-1 Nagono, Nishi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Representative: Yosuke Kaneko (Founder & CEO)
Established: 2020
Business: Development and provision of drone- and AI-powered technologies for infectious disease control, agricultural support, and climate adaptation.
Mission: SORA Technology is committed to the mission of “Transforming lives from the sky (SORA).” By leveraging advanced drone and AI technologies, the company aims to help build safe and prosperous societies anywhere in the world. Centered in Africa and other developing regions, SORA provides a wide range of services, from infectious disease surveillance and control to agricultural productivity enhancement and climate adaptation support.

Website: https://sora-technology.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sora-technology/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sora.technology/