APOPO
Encyclopedia
Gambian pouched rat
The Gambian pouched rat , also known as the African giant pouched rat, is a nocturnal pouched rat of the giant pouched rat genus Cricetomys. It is among the largest muroids in the world, growing up to about long including their tail which makes up half their length...
to detect landmines and tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. APOPO's mission is to develop detection rats technology to provide solutions for global problems and inspire positive social change.
History
Bart Weetjens, the founder of APOPO, loved playing with his pet ratsRATS
RATS may refer to:* RATS , Regression Analysis of Time Series, a statistical package* Rough Auditing Tool for Security, a computer program...
when he was a young boy. Years later, as a student at the University of Antwerp
University of Antwerp
The University of Antwerp is one of the major Belgian universities located in the city of Antwerp. The name is sometimes abbreviated as UA.-History:...
, Bart applied the idea of using rodents for mine detection as an outcome of his analysis of the global mine detection problem.
Due to his childhood experience, he knew that rats, with their strong sense of smell and trainability, could provide a cheaper, more efficient, and locally available means to detect landmines. Early research into this technology began in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, with initial financial support given from the Belgian Directorate for International Co-operation (DGIS) in 1997 to develop the concept. In 2000, APOPO moved its headquarters to Morogoro
Morogoro
Morogoro is a city with an urban population of 206,868 in the southern highlands of Tanzania, 190 km west of Dar es Salaam. It is the capital of the Morogoro Region...
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, following partnerships with the Sokoine University of Agriculture
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Sokoine University of Agriculture is a university in Tanzania, specializing in agriculture.-Introduction:INTRODUCTION TO SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE...
and the Tanzanian People’s Defence Force. Now housed by the University, APOPO trains the rats – termed HeroRATs because of their life-saving capabilities – in near-to-real conditions.
In 2003, APOPO began operations in Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, with its first Mine Detection Rats achieving official accreditation according to International Mine Action Standards in 2004. Fully integrated mine-clearance operations began in Mozambique in 2006.
In 2003, APOPO won the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
Development Marketplace Global Competition, which provided seed funding to commence research into another application of detection rats technology: Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
(TB) detection. In 2008, APOPO provided proof of principle for the utilization of trained rats in detecting pulmonary tuberculosis in human sputum
Sputum
Sputum is mucus that is coughed up from the lower airways. It is usually used for microbiological investigations of respiratory infections....
samples. In 2010, APOPO launched a three-year research plan to closely examine the effectiveness of detection rats in diagnosing tuberculosis, in comparison to other diagnostic technologies, and to focus on future implementation models.
Advantages of African giant pouched rats
Using African giant pouched rats to detect landmines has several advantages. The rats are indigenous to sub-Saharan AfricaSub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
, where they are used and, thus, are well-suited to the climate and are resistant to many endemic diseases. They are also widely available and inexpensive to procure. Few resources are needed to raise a rat to adulthood, and African Giant Pouched Rats have a relatively long lifespan of six to eight years. Furthermore, rats do not form a bond with a specific trainer but rather are motivated to work for food. This adaptability allows for the trained rats to be transferred between handlers.
In the minefields, the rats are too light to detonate a pressure-activated mine by walking over it. Their small size also means that the rats can be easily transported to and from operational sites.
Direct detection
HeroRATs, the affectionate name given to the African giant pouched rats (genus Cricetomys) used by APOPO, work to detect landmines by using their exceptional olfactory capacity.In a minefield, the rats wear harnesses connected to a rope suspended between two handlers. Rats methodically sweep up and down a demarcated hazardous area and indicate the scent of explosives by scratching at the ground. The insignificant weight of the rats means they do not detonate a landmine; their scratching solely indicates the presence of a mine. Each suspected area is screened by two animals.
The locations that are indicated by the rats are marked off, and then followed up later by a manual demining team, who detect and destroy the mines.
Mozambique
APOPO is currently the sole operator for the demining of the Gaza ProvinceGaza Province
Gaza is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 75,709 km² and a population of 1,333,106 .Xai-Xai is the capital of the province. Inhambane Province is to the east, Manica Province to the north, Maputo Province to the south, South Africa to the west, and Zimbabwe to the...
in Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. This will assist Mozambique in reaching their 2014 APMBC deadline. Operations in Mozambique began in 2003, with the first group of 11 Mine Detection Rats passing official accreditation tests in 2004, and fully integrated mine clearance operations – including manual deminers, Mine Detection Rats, and machinery for ground preparation – in 2006.
Since the start of operations, APOPO’s Mozambique Mine Action team has returned over 2.5 million square meters of land to the population. Over 1,500 landmines have been found and destroyed.
Thailand
In 2010, the ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
Mine Action Center (TMAC) supported APOPO’s proposal to conduct a combined non-technical and technical survey of all mine suspected areas in the provinces of Trat
Trat Province
Trat is a province of Thailand. It is located in the east of Thailand, and has borders with Chanthaburi Province to the northwest, Cambodia to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the south.Trat is most famous for gemstone mining and trading....
and Chantaburi, along the Thai-Cambodian border.
APOPO is conducting the project in partnership with local Thai NGO Peace Road Organization, with the goal of accurately determining how much of the suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) actually contain landmines.
Detecting tuberculosis by scent
Tuberculosis is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, responsible for 9.2 million new illnesses and 1.7 million deaths each year, mainly in poor countries. Rat detection technology is aiding DOTSDots
Dots is the plural of dot.Dots may also refer to:*Dots , produced by Tootsie Roll Industries*Dots and Boxes, a pencil and paper game for two or more players*Dots - another pencil and paper game...
programs to help diagnose vulnerable populations.
APOPO trains HeroRATs to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a pathogenic bacterial species in the genus Mycobacterium and the causative agent of most cases of tuberculosis . First discovered in 1882 by Robert Koch, M...
in human sputum samples. In APOPO’s laboratory in Tanzania, HeroRATs sniff a series of 10 holes in a line cage, under which human sputum samples are placed for evaluation. When a HeroRAT detects TB
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, it indicates by keeping its nose in the sample hole and scratching at the surface of the line cage.
Advantages over microscopy
Currently, in most of the world, tuberculosis is detected through microscopy, a method that has not changed significantly in the last 100 years. Microscopy is relatively slow: on average, a laboratory technician can process 40 samples per day , while a trained rat can evaluate the same number of samples in less than seven minutes.APOPO’s HeroRATs provide second-line screening to eight partner DOTS Centers, located in Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
and Morogoro, Tanzania. In 2010, this second-line screening increased new TB case detection rates of APOPO’s partner hospitals by 43%.
Future plans
In the future, APOPO hopes HeroRATS will become a key instrument in curbing the spread of Tuberculosis worldwide. Exceptionally fast, accurate, and cost-effective, HeroRATS have an important role to play in screening large and at-risk populations.Training HeroRATS
Operant conditioning
Operant conditioning is a form of psychological learning during which an individual modifies the occurrence and form of its own behavior due to the association of the behavior with a stimulus...
. When the rats first begin their training, they learn to associate a “click” sound with a food reward of banana or peanuts. Once they learn that "click" means food, the rats are trained on a target scent. Rats trained to become Mine Detection Rats are taught that when they indicate TNT (the explosive in most mines), they will hear a click and then get food. The rats working on TB
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
detection are trained using TB-positive samples.
After various stages of training which build on the skills learned in the previous stage, the rat is ready to go to work in either a minefield or into the research lab for tuberculosis or remote scent tracing (RST) detection.
Local benefits
Rats, as detection agents, offer a local and low-tech solution. The African giant pouched rat is indigenous to Africa and therefore is accustomed to the terrain and climate. APOPO provides quality jobs to over 200 local people. It is a cheap and efficient solution to the landmine problem because the rats can be bred locally, fed with local food, and trained by local staff in the communities in which APOPO works.Partners
APOPO has officially partnered with Sokoine University of AgricultureSokoine University of Agriculture
Sokoine University of Agriculture is a university in Tanzania, specializing in agriculture.-Introduction:INTRODUCTION TO SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE...
, The University of Antwerp
University of Antwerp
The University of Antwerp is one of the major Belgian universities located in the city of Antwerp. The name is sometimes abbreviated as UA.-History:...
, The National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Program (NTLP), The National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), The Tanzanian Peoples Defense Forces (TPDF), JENEL TVD and the Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA). APOPO’s funding partners include the Belgian, Flemish
Flemish government
The Flemish Government is the executive branch of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region. It consists of up to a maximum of eleven ministers, chosen by the Flemish Parliament...
and Norwegian Governments, the United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
, the US Department of State’s National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
(NIH), the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, the Province of Antwerp, and the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
. APOPO also gathers support from private donors and public fundraising campaigns.
Awards
- Ashoka: Innovators for the PublicAshoka: Innovators for the PublicAshoka: Innovators for the Public is a nonprofit organization based in Arlington, VA, supporting the field of social entrepreneurship. Ashoka was founded by Bill Drayton in 1981 to identify and support leading social entrepreneurs through a Social Venture Capital approach with the goal of...
Fellowship awarded to founder, Bart Weetjens - The Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2008 from the Skoll FoundationSkoll FoundationThe Skoll Foundation is a social entrepreneurship foundation based in Silicon Valley, California, with a mission to drive large-scale change by investing in, connecting, and celebrating social entrepreneurs and other innovators dedicated to solving the world’s most pressing problems...
- Fellow for the Schwab Foundation for Social EntrepreneurshipSchwab Foundation for Social EntrepreneurshipThe Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship provides platforms at the country, regional and global levels to promote social entrepreneurship.- History :...
- Awarded to founder, Bart Weetjens
See also
- TuberculosisTuberculosisTuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
- Land mines
- Giant pouched ratGiant pouched ratThe giant pouched rats of sub-Saharan Africa are large muroid rodents. Their head and body length ranges from 25–45 cm with scaly tails ranging from 36–46 cm...
- Gambian pouched ratGambian pouched ratThe Gambian pouched rat , also known as the African giant pouched rat, is a nocturnal pouched rat of the giant pouched rat genus Cricetomys. It is among the largest muroids in the world, growing up to about long including their tail which makes up half their length...
- DeminingDeminingDemining or mine clearance is the process of removing either land mines, or naval mines, from an area, while minesweeping describes the act of detecting of mines. There are two distinct types of mine detection and removal: military and humanitarian.Minesweepers use many tools in order to accomplish...
- Mine clearance agenciesMine clearance agenciesA mine clearance agency, or demining agency, is an organization involved in removal of landmines and Unexploded Ordnance for military, humanitarian, or commercial reasons....
- National Center for HIV, STD, and TB PreventionNational Center for HIV, STD, and TB PreventionThe National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention is a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is responsible for public health surveillance, prevention research, and programs to prevent and control human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired...