Zanzibar tests drones spraying rice fields to fight malaria

Trainee drone pilots from the State University of Zanzibar learn how to fly a drone to spray the breeding grounds of malaria-carrying mosquito in the southern Cheju region of the island of Zanzibar, Tanzania. (AP)

• The spraying by drones is a test to see if it will help the government of Zanzibar reach its goal of eliminating malaria on the archipelago by 2023

ZANZIBAR, Tanzania: Drones are being tested to see if they can help fight malaria on the island of Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania.

The drones will spray a silicone-based liquid on rice paddies, which have stagnant water where malaria-carrying mosquitoes lay their eggs. The substance will spread across the water and prevent the eggs from hatching. It is hoped this will significantly reduce the numbers of the malaria-carrying anopheles mosquitoes on the island.

The spraying by drones is a test to see if it will help the government of Zanzibar reach its goal of eliminating malaria on the archipelago by 2023, according to the strategic plan adopted by Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Program.