In the fight to end cholera deaths by 2030 – a goal set by the World Health Organization – UF researcher and professor Antar Jutla, Ph.D., has deployed his Cholera Risk Dashboard in about 20 countries, most recently in Kenya. Using NASA and NOAA satellite images and artificial intelligence algorithms, the dashboard is an interactive web interface that pinpoints areas ripe for thriving cholera bacteria. 

It can predict cholera risk four weeks out, allowing early and proactive humanitarian efforts, medical preparation and health warnings. Cholera is a bacterial disease spread through contaminated food and water; it causes severe intestinal issues and can be fatal if untreated. The US Centers for Disease Control reports between 21,000 and 143,000 cholera deaths each year globally. 

As the demand for mpox (previously known as monkeypox) detection has surged following the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) for the mpox outbreak, DiaCarta is working with distributors and laboratories to get their mpox testing kits into the hands of more doctors and hospitals around the globe so they can detect and treat patients faster.