Benin is taking a new step forward in the fight against malaria. The country plans to deploy 20 AI-assisted diagnostic devices in its main public hospitals. Benin’s Ministry of Health has awarded a contract to South Korean company Noul to provide its miLab MAL solution, according to WeAreTechAfrica.
The first units will be installed in the country’s main referral hospitals, particularly those treating large numbers of patients with severe forms of malaria.
The system is then expected to be gradually rolled out to other public healthcare facilities across the country. Above all, this decision marks a new milestone for miLab MAL.
After being used in selected healthcare facilities, the system is now being integrated into the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP).
A Technology Evaluated on Patients in Benin
The adoption of the solution follows a clinical evaluation conducted in 2025 at several university hospitals in northern and southern Benin. The study involved 211 children suspected of suffering from severe malaria.
According to results released by Noul, miLab MAL achieved a sensitivity of 98.82% and a specificity of 100% compared with manual microscopy. Another key advantage highlighted was the speed of diagnosis.
The analysis reportedly takes less than 20 minutes, compared with around 75 minutes using the conventional method.
Following the evaluation, the NMCP reportedly classified miLab MAL as a point-of-care diagnostic device and recommended its use in national malaria control programs.
AI to Automate Sample Analysis
The system developed by Noul is designed to automate several stages of the diagnostic process. It handles blood smear preparation, sample digitization, and analysis using artificial intelligence.
Using digital images of blood samples, the algorithm searches for malaria-causing parasites and produces standardized results more quickly.
This automation could therefore help reduce diagnostic delays, particularly in healthcare facilities dealing with large numbers of patients.
A New Tool to Address a Major Public Health Challenge
The introduction of this technology comes at a time when malaria remains a major public health concern in Benin.
According to World Health Organization estimates cited in reports on the deployment, Benin recorded approximately 5.1 million malaria cases and 9,900 malaria-related deaths in 2024.
Against this backdrop, the integration of miLab MAL into the NMCP represents an important milestone for Noul, as its technology becomes part of Benin’s national public health system for combating the disease.
The first 20 devices are intended to serve as the starting point for a broader rollout. In the longer term, the goal is to extend the technology to more healthcare facilities in order to strengthen malaria diagnostic capacity across the country.