Dr Sohini Sengupta, Medical Laboratory Director, Redcliffe Labs highlights that as India continues its determined effort towards malaria elimination in the next six years, it is crucial to equip our healthcare sector with optimum resources to continue innovation for developing timely diagnosis and treatment methods
While malaria remains a global healthcare challenge, India is gradually becoming successful in combatting the disease. The country has witnessed an 85 per cent decline in malaria cases between 2015 and 2022. During the same period, the fatalities due to this life-threatening disease caused by Plasmodium parasites reduced by 83 per cent. One of the core reasons behind this transformative shift is the increasing awareness about early diagnosis and complete treatment. These measures also contribute to reducing disease transmission from one person to another.
India’s progress in reducing the prevalence of malaria
As per the provisional data, 126 Indian districts reported ‘zero malaria’ cases in 2022. This is a significant milestone in achieving zero indigenous malaria cases by 2027. Diagnostic interventions like microscopy and Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT) have been aiding India’s healthcare professionals in diagnosing suspected cases timely. Cumulatively, malaria prevention and control measures have played a major role in reducing malaria in India. In addition, ongoing research and technological advancements have contributed significantly to the country’s target of eliminating malaria from its borders by 2030. This initiative aligns with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030 (GTS), and continuous innovation in the medical sphere is supporting this progress.
One of the standout innovations in the healthcare industry is the portable point-of-care testing devices. These new-age diagnostic devices have been a crucial contributor in helping diagnose malaria in remote or resource-limited areas of the country. It helps to improve early detection and treatment. Moreover, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and other molecular diagnostic techniques have aided in enhancing the accuracy of malaria diagnosis. Also, innovations such as artificial intelligence-based malaria microscopy can help improve accuracy even in the remote belt of the country, which is not easily accessible.
Obstacles faced by the healthcare industry
While the ongoing innovations and development of new methods to diagnose malaria hold immense potential, the implementation is challenging. Adequate infrastructure, trained personnel, and financial resources are necessary to integrate diagnostic innovations into healthcare systems effectively. This is especially true in resource-constrained areas with limited access to reliable electricity, internet connectivity, and skilled healthcare workers.
In such a scenario, developing mobile phone applications for automatically detecting malaria parasites has emerged as a promising solution. These applications leverage smartphone image-capturing capabilities, allowing for easy acquisition of blood smear images through a microscope lens. By integrating convolutional neural network (CNN) predictive models into smartphone software applications, automated malaria diagnosis can be performed on a single device, even in resource-poor settings where smartphones are relatively accessible and affordable.
Future direction
As India continues its determined effort towards malaria elimination in the next six years, it is crucial to equip our healthcare sector with optimum resources to continue innovation for developing timely diagnosis and treatment methods. The first step for treating the disease is detection and taking timely measures. Herein, diagnostic innovations that offer quality-assured detection have an integral role.
While employing AI, researchers in the healthcare industry are also using proteomics technology for developing malaria diagnostic models. It will be highly effective for the detection of mixed infections and also for differentiating between severe and non-severe conditions. By taking an innovative approach and developing new-age healthcare methods, the country can move towards a malaria-free future, contributing to the global fight against this life-threatening disease.