ICT in the fight against malaria

Context

Over the past 30 years, population movements between Myanmar and Thailand have dramatically intensified. It is estimated that there are more than one million Burmese refugees in Thailand. Most of them do not live in the camps. They do not have access to basic medical care and are very vulnerable to diseases such as malaria.

Malaria is a disease that kills more than a million people each year. Pregnant women and children are the most vulnerable with one child falling victim to the disease every 30 seconds. The parasite responsible for malaria is still present along the Thai border where thousands of Burmese refugees are being treated in the clinics of the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU).

Established more than 20 years ago, the SMRU located in Mae Sot in northwestern Thailand is an extension of the Mahidol Tropical Medicine faculty in Bangkok. A member of the Mahidol-Oxford Research Unit (MORU) and funded by Welcome Trust, the SMRU runs three laboratories and six clinics providing care to more than 30,000 people a year. The clinics specialises in the monitoring and treatment of malaria, paying particular attention to pregnant women.

Implementation

In order to better exploit the data collected from patients, improve treatment and combat the disease more effectively, Télécoms Sans Frontières set up an information system in collaboration with the SMRU.
After a year and a half of development, Télécoms Sans Frontières and the IT Cup inaugurated on 9th April 2009 their project in support of the SMRU. This information system was developed thanks to the funds raised during the 5th edition of the IT Cup charity football tournament on June 29, 2008 in Clairefontaine, France.

Information System

Previously, malaria patient follow-up was carried out on paper forms. Computerisation was essential for more efficient use of patient data. This system made it possible to:

- avoid typing errors;
- have immediate access to patient health records;
- avoid delays in the transmission of information;
- solve the problem of archiving forms.

A first pilot version of the application was put in place at the end of March 2009 at Wang Pha's SMRU clinic. The system was then installed in the Mae Sot clinic in April and then in the Mawker Thai clinic. The medical staff was trained to become self-sufficient on the solution.