Risk-assessment of Mosquito-borne Diseases in African Cities

Mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and yellow fever have been spreading across African cities, placing more than 126 million residents at risk of large-scale outbreaks. Poor housing quality is a key driver of mosquito-borne diseases, yet the role of the urban built environment in shaping the transmission dynamics of these diseases remains understudied. Therefore, we assess the risk-factors from the built environment and how they are related to vector-borne diseases. To do so, we extract these riskfactors from high-resolution remote sensing imagery with deep learning to identify high-risk areas and to inform targeted intervention strategies. Here, we present initial results on mapping some of the high risk-factors from drone imagery. Our findings demonstrate the ability to capture fine-grained urban details, such as roof materials and small water-holding containers, which are critical indicators of vector habitats.