Apopo

Apopo ( Antipersoonsmijnen Ontmijnende Productontwikkeling ) ( German as: development of products for Demining ) is a nonprofit Belgian NGO, researches, develops and disseminates the methods for use of flair rats for humanitarian purposes.

Fields of activity

Apopo depends giant pouched rats from rats to detector (so-called HeroRATs ) to search for landmines and tuberculosis rapid detection. The non-profit non-profit organization conducting research in this regard since 1997. It operates largely on the basis of donations.

Landmine Detection

The method for landmine detection has been developed by scientists from Belgium and Tanzania, with the support of the University of Antwerp. The first use of rats for mine detection in Mozambique was successful. Meanwhile, the rats were used in other countries of sub-Saharan Africa, such as Tanzania. Compared to metal, the African giant pouched rat after a three-month training, a 50 - times higher accuracy to, in terms of the mine detection. Compared with the Beagle, it has the advantage that it learns faster, requires less feed and larger amounts animals are to leave with far less effort into the areas to be searched. The pouched rats to solve due to their low body weight barely mines.

Tuberculosis rapid detection

Since 2007, the rats next to the explosives are trained and used to control diagnosis in TB programs since mid-2008 on the smell of tuberculosis (TB). Although the rats are not as perfect as about a pathologist with a modern microscope, but they achieve far better results than many clinics in rural Africa achieve. A TBC - sensing rat can check 40 samples in just 7 minutes, a job for which a trained laboratory technician requires a whole day. The research was supported by the World Bank with $ 165,000.