APOPO’s Life-Saving Rats: Speeding Up Landmine Removal and TB Diagnosis

APOPOs uses trained rats to detect landmines and diagnose tuberculosis,  offering a low-cost, efficient solution to these global challenges. It operates in countries  such as Cambodia, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania, expanding its humanitarian  efforts in recent years to places like Senegal and Azerbaijan. APOPO’s work has helped  clear landmine-contaminated areas and improve TB detection rates, saving lives & improving public health.

APOPO meets critical social needs by addressing two major global  challenges: landmine detection and tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. Landmine Detection:  Millions of landmines and unexploded ordnances remain hidden in post-conflict regions,  endangering lives and impeding economic recovery. Countries like Cambodia, Angola,  and Mozambique have been heavily affected, with landmines having claimed lives and  having prevented access to agricultural land. APOPO’s HeroRATs, trained to sniff out  explosives, provide an efficient and cost-effective solution to this problem. Each rat can  search an area the size of a tennis court in 30 minutes, whereas traditional methods  using metal detectors would take up to four days. APOPO has located over 155,000  landmines and explosives, restoring safety to nearly 2 million people and allowing them  to reclaim their land. 

Tuberculosis Detection: TB remains a major public health issue, particularly in low- and  middle-income countries where diagnosis is often slow and inaccurate. Traditional  methods frequently miss TB cases, particularly in clinics with limited resources. APOPO’s  rats are trained to detect TB in sputum samples with much higher accuracy and speed  than microscopy. Over the years, they have identified more than 27,000 TB-positive  patients who were previously undiagnosed, preventing the further spread of the disease  to over 270,000 people. 

APOPO’s solution meets the need for faster, more effective responses to both landmine  clearance and TB detection. By restoring safe land and improving health outcomes,  APOPO enhances community resilience, boosts local economies, and saves lives in some  of the world’s most vulnerable regions. 

APOPO’s innovative solution relies on the use of  African giant pouched rats, known as HeroRats, to detect both landmines and  tuberculosis (TB). These trained rats are central to two key services: Mine Detection and  TB Diagnosis. 

Mine Detection: 

The HeroRats are trained to detect the scent of explosives, particularly TNT, which is  commonly found in landmines. Using their sharp sense of smell, they can quickly cover  large areas of land, and since they are light, they avoid triggering any landmines. The  process begins with the rats being trained in an environment with controlled scents and  is reinforced through a system of rewards. When the rats detect explosives, they scratch  at the ground, signalling the location of the landmine to the handlers. This technique,  paired with traditional de-mining tools like metal detectors and protective equipment,  allows for fast and effective mine clearance. 

TB Detection:

HeroRats are also used to detect TB in sputum samples. Traditional TB diagnosis  methods in low-resource settings often miss cases, as they rely on basic microscopy  techniques that can be slow and error-prone. APOPO’s rats are trained to identify the  unique odour profile of TB-positive samples. A single rat can screen hundreds of  samples in minutes, which is much faster than conventional methods. Once they detect  a positive sample, they signal by pausing over the sample. The use of rats in this process  greatly increases the detection rate of TB, catching cases that might otherwise go  undiagnosed by clinics. 

Training and Technology: 

The training process for both mine detection and TB detection involves classical  conditioning techniques, where the rats are rewarded with food for successful  identification of the target scent. These operations are carried out in APOPO’s specialised  training and research centres, ensuring the safety and well-being of the animals.  Additionally, APOPO integrates Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and advanced  data analysis in mine action to map and prioritise areas for clearance, enhancing the  efficiency of their fieldwork. 

This combination of innovative animal training, scent detection technology, and  operational efficiency enables APOPO to address significant humanitarian challenges in  a cost-effective and scalable way. 

APOPO’s solution has had a significant social impact,  improving both public health and safety through its landmine detection and tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis programs.

Landmine Detection Impact: 

APOPO’s deployment of trained HeroRATs in mine-affected countries like Mozambique,  Angola, and Cambodia has been crucial in restoring land to communities. Over 155,000  landmines and unexploded ordnances have been safely located and destroyed, directly  improving the safety of nearly 2 million people. This allows for the safe return of families  to their homes, revitalisation of farmland, and resumption of local economies. In  Mozambique, for example, APOPO played a key role in declaring the country mine-free in  2015 after clearing more than 13 million square meters of land. This work has not only  saved lives but also restored livelihoods by making previously unusable land safe for  agriculture, infrastructure development, and resettlement. 

TB Diagnosis Impact: 

In the field of public health, APOPO’s HeroRATs have dramatically improved tuberculosis  detection, particularly in resource-limited settings. Traditional diagnostic methods can  be slow and often miss cases, but the rats provide a faster, more accurate alternative.  As of 2024, APOPO’s rats have helped identify over 27,000 previously undiagnosed TB  patients, preventing an estimated 270,000 potential infections. This significantly boosts  the local healthcare system’s capacity, especially in high-burden countries like Tanzania  and Mozambique. The rats have been shown to increase detection rates by up to 40% compared to standard methods. 

Deployment Strategy: 

APOPO operates through partnerships with governments, NGOs, and international  agencies. They work closely with local authorities to ensure their services are tailored to  the specific needs of each country. For example, in Cambodia and Angola, they work  alongside national de-mining agencies, while in TB detection, they partner with local  clinics and hospitals. APOPO’s team of more than 200 professionals is deployed across  several countries, operating from research centres, training facilities, and field  operations. 

In both fields, APOPO’s work has had a tangible social impact, saving lives, preventing  disease, and transforming vulnerable communities. Their solution is not only effective  but also scalable, offering a model for how innovative, low-tech solutions can address  complex global challenges.