Mobile phones improve case detection and management of malaria in rural Bangladesh

• Published in: Malaria Journal
• Main Authors: Prue Chai S, Shannon Kerry L, Khyang Jacob, Edwards Laura J, Ahmed Sabeena, Ram Malathi, Shields Timothy, Hossain Mohammad S, Glass Gregory E, Nyunt Myaing M, Sack David A, Sullivan David J, Khan Wasif A
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2013
• Subjects: Mobile phones; Malaria; Bangladesh; Rapid test; Artemisinin; Surveillance; Rapid diagnostic test; mHealth; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-12-48; https://doaj.org/article/5a5d5ecbec56454bbf22ee3ad5a9e2a7

Abstract Background The recent introduction of mobile phones into the rural Bandarban district of Bangladesh provided a resource to improve case detection and treatment of patients with malaria. Methods During studies to define the epidemiology of malaria in villages in south-eastern Bangladesh, an area with hypoendemic malaria, the project recorded 986 mobile phone calls from families because of illness suspected to be malaria between June 2010 and June 2012. Results Based on phone calls, field workers visited the homes with ill persons, and collected blood samples for malaria on 1,046 people. 265 (25%) of the patients tested were positive for malaria. Of the 509 symptomatic malaria cases diagnosed during this study period, 265 (52%) were detected because of an initial mobile phone call. Conclusion Mobile phone technology was found to be an efficient and effective method for rapidly detecting and treating patients with malaria in this remote area. This technology, when combined with local knowledge and field support, may be applicable to other hard-to-reach areas to improve malaria control.