APOPO is a social enterprise that researches, develops and disseminates detection rats technology for humanitarian purposes. We are a registered Belgian NGO, with our headquarters in Tanzania.
APOPO currently employs over 200 staff for our in-country operations, and has over 300 rats in various stages of breeding, training, or implementation. Our African giant pouched rats are important members of our team, and the driving force behind our life-saving mission. We call them HeroRATs.
What is a HeroRAT?
HeroRATs are trained by APOPO to save lives and limbs, by using their exceptional sense of smell to sniff out unexploded landmines and tuberculosis. They are the true heroes behind APOPO's mission, working together with their human colleagues to create a safer world and inspire social change.
Once fully trained, a HeroRAT can pinpoint the location of landmines quickly and effectively, or sniff out deadly tuberculosis (TB) faster than traditional laboratory microscopy. Not only that, they work for peanuts!
In short, HeroRATs provide a simple, innovative and cost-effective solution to some of the complex global problems facing humankind today.
What we do
Training HeroRATs
APOPO’s core technology and the driving force behind our life-saving mission is our African giant pouched rats, who we affectionately call HeroRATs. Olfaction is the primary sensory modality of rats, as they have an extraordinarily high number of functional genes related to odor detection, giving them a keen sense of smell. We train these rats to use their exceptional sense of smell for humanitarian purposes.
Mine Action
APOPO has stepped up its war on landmines and aims to spread the use of its unique rat detection and land release methodology through its Mine Action Programs. APOPO continues to develop combined approaches using existing demining technology as well as its innovative Mine Detection Rats (MDRs), leading to greater land release rates. In addition to the current use of these HeroRATs in clearance procedures, the role of rats in technical survey is also being explored, which will have a positive effect on overall efficiency of releasing land.
Tuberculosis Detection
Trained HeroRATs can quickly and accurately sniff out TB in human sputum samples. In Tanzania, APOPO offers second-line screening to our partner hospitals, which has increased new case detection rates by over 40 percent. Our rats can evaluate 40 sputum samples in just seven minutes, equal to what a skilled lab technician will do in a full day’s work.
Remote Scent Tracing
APOPO is now utilizing the conclusions of APOPO's previous Remote Explosives Scent Tracing (REST) research program, to look into other potential Remote Scent Tracing (RST) applications. RST involves collecting samples of air or dust from defined locations and presenting those samples to mechanical or animate detectors in a remote location. Areas producing positive samples are then either searched more thoroughly by other methods or cleared by machines. Areas producing negative samples are exempt from further inspection except for quality control.
Achievements
>> Over 1,813 landmines found and destroyed.
>> Over 2.8 million square meters of mine-free land.
>> Over 2,500 new TB positive-patients diagnosed.
>> 43% increase in TB case detection rate.
