In Kenya, Maj. Eric Wagar, lead for the U.S. Army Medical Research Unit, works on training lab technicians at the Malaria Diagnostics and Control Center of Excellence in Kisumu. Students at the lab practice malaria identification with a variety of blood specimen slides showing one or more of malaria’s several species. Improving quality malaria diagnosis is part of a larger public health effort to reduce malaria’s impacts: illness means paying for treatments, less wages earned, and lower productivity, which impacts the economy. However, progress both in training and in diagnosing malaria in patients is slower than it needs to be because the lab has a single microscope.

Similarly, in Uganda the lack of microscopes in government-aided health centers has directly hindered the fight against malaria. The district medical officer in Bushenyi district, Dr. Celestine Berigya, comments that because of the shortage of microscopes medical officers cannot diagnose the disease thoroughly. When patients arrive at health centers complaining of fevers, malaria medicine is often prescribed without the disease being diagnosed, oftentimes when patients are not in fact infected, representing a waste of resources, not to mention ineffective health care.

Increased funding and resources for health centers across Africa is an essential part of any successful intervention that cannot be ignored. As crucial as distributing bed nets, providing IRS treatments, and increasing educational campaigns aimed at promoting better preventative behavior are in the fight against malaria, the impact of these efforts will be drastically reduced if health centers are commonly misdiagnosing the disease.

We are glancing at a new case study on the ability of social entrepreneurship to help create innovating and sustainable malaria diagnosis intervention tools.

“This paper seeks to provide a framework for applied research aimed to improve malaria diagnosis using a combination of the established methods, participatory action research and social entrepreneurship.

Methods: This case study introduces the idea of using the social entrepreneurship approach (SEA) to create innovative and sustainable applied health research outcomes. The following key elements define the SEA: (1) identifying a locally relevant research topic and plan, (2) recognizing the importance of international multi-disciplinary teams and the incorporation of local knowledge, (3) engaging in a process of continuous innovation, adaptation and learning, (4) remaining motivated and determined to achieve sustainable long-term research outcomes and, (5) sharing and transferring ownership of the project with the international and local partner.EvaluationThe SEA approach has a strong emphasis on innovation lead by local stakeholders.”

For more read the study’s conclusion.