Japanese drone technology company SORA Technology is deploying its TSUBASA uncrewed aircraft in a malaria vector-control programme covering six communes in Benin.
The programme is being implemented with Benin’s Ministry of Health and UNICEF, with financial support of approximately US$2.3 million from the Government of Japan. SORA Technology announced the initiative on 21 August 2026.
The project combines satellite data, artificial intelligence, drones and digital field-management tools to identify and treat mosquito breeding sites as part of efforts to strengthen malaria prevention.
SORA Technology’s TSUBASA drone has been developed specifically for larvicide application. Under the Benin programme, drone technology is being used to support the identification of areas considered at higher risk of mosquito breeding and to apply larvicide in targeted locations.
The aircraft form part of a broader technology platform intended to improve the efficiency of larval source management by combining aerial operations with satellite-derived information and digital monitoring.
According to SORA Technology, the programme will operate across six communes in Benin, bringing together government health authorities, UNICEF and technology providers in the implementation of the malaria-control activities.
The Benin deployment adds to SORA Technology’s growing involvement in African public-health programmes using uncrewed aircraft and geospatial technologies. The company develops its own drone systems rather than operating solely as a service provider using third-party aircraft.
Its TSUBASA platform is designed for targeted aerial larvicide application, providing an example of how purpose-built uncrewed aircraft are being incorporated into public-health operations beyond conventional surveillance and mapping roles.
For the African drone sector, the Benin programme also provides further evidence of the development of specialised civil UAV applications in areas including healthcare, environmental monitoring and automated field operations.
