Charis UAS drones combat Rwanda’s growing malaria cases

In 2019, Rwanda partnered with Charis Unmanned Aerial Solutions (UAS) to fight the increasing malaria cases caused by changes in mosquito behavior and irrigation agriculture. The project used drones to combat malaria and proved to be efficient, effective, and easy. Charis UAS worked with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre to develop a protocol on how to use drones and advanced 3D geospatial data to tackle the rise of malaria cases in Africa.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, stressed the importance of using a combination of efforts, technologies, and innovations to combat diseases like malaria. Every year, 3.7 million malaria cases are reported in Rwanda, which highlights the need for multiple innovations and technologies to eradicate the disease.

Rwanda was the first country to integrate drones to tackle the rise of malaria cases in Africa. The success of the pilot project in 2020 led to its expansion in 2023, with Charis UAS scaling up its activities in Rugende and Kabuye, two communities heavily impacted by malaria.

Drones were used to map mosquito breeding sites, allowing for targeted interventions. After mapping, drones were used to spray larvicides in mosquito breeding sites, along with community mobilization where drones were outfitted with megaphones to deliver pre-recorded messages about measures to fight malaria.

Drone-based larviciding had a significant impact in 2020, with the Rwanda Biomedical Center reporting a reduction in malaria cases in Jabana Sector by 90.6% from 12,041 cases to 1,129 cases, in only 8 months of drone intervention. Health workers in the community also noticed a reduction in malaria cases.

Charis UAS plans to scale up their activities to four more districts in Rwanda and expand into more African countries. This innovative approach not only benefits public health but also has socio-economic benefits for farmers and businesses who can now add three hours to their working hours.

Rwanda’s use of drones in the fight against malaria has set a new standard for innovation in public health. It is exciting to see this innovative approach being adopted in other countries facing similar challenges like Côte d’Ivoire, where Charis UAS drones are being deployed to end malaria in 6 endemic regions to impact over 5 million people.

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