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

Abstract

BackgroundThe 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.MethodsDuring 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.ResultsBased 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.ConclusionMobile 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.

Determinants of readiness to adopt mHealth in a rural community of Bangladesh

“…Other mHealth programs in Bangladesh also showed similar findings such as user satisfied with services and intended continued future use [63]. In the Bangladesh malarial surveillance program, mobile phone users assisted the study team by identifying cases and providing the community with increased access to healthcare and treatment for malaria [64]. However, our study identified that the most important user concerns about mHealth are trust, and quality of care, supporting other studies [53].…”

Prehospital Characteristics in the North East Department of Haiti: A Cross-sectional Study from a Low-income Setting Without Prehospital Systems

“…7,25,26 As has been reported previously, in the absence of formal prehospital care systems, laypersons respond and provide transport. 23 In low-income settings, treatment algorithms utilizing cellular phone communications have been developed for out-of-hospital community management of fever and suspected malaria, 30,31 and may have application in the setting described here. 27,29 In the population studied, transport primarily was achieved via motorcycle taxi drivers, and transport times were congruent with those documented in other low-income settings.…”

Geospatial Technology: A Tool to Aid in the Elimination of Malaria in Bangladesh

“…Using household surveys, malaria hot-spots (the clustering of high malaria incidence cases) data, and more readily available spatial malaria databases along with a better understanding by decision makers on the usages and capabilities of these spatial analytical methods, can lead to more successful malaria elimination strategies [26]. The use of GIS and GPS systems connected to mobile phones [27] can also aid in malaria case detection and delivery of health services particularly in remote areas of CHT where tracking and analyzing malaria prevalence data can often be difficult [28]. With changing malaria epidemiology and reduced burden of malaria throughout the country, Bangladesh needs to focus on CHT region elimination strategies to address malaria hot-spots efficiently and effectively as well as reduce malaria importation, insecticide resistance, drug resistance [29], and the mapping of asymptomatic carrier [24].…”