title: Malaria diagnosis and mapping with m-Health and geographic information systems (GIS): evidence from Uganda.
abstract: Rural populations experience several barriers to accessing clinical facilities for malaria diagnosis. Increasing penetration of ICT and mobile-phones and subsequent m-Health applications can contribute overcoming such obstacles.
  
  
  
  GIS is used to evaluate the feasibility of m-Health technologies as part of anti-malaria strategies. This study investigates where in Uganda: (1) malaria affects the largest number of people; (2) the application of m-Health protocol based on the mobile network has the highest potential impact.
  
  
  
  About 75% of the population affected by Plasmodium falciparum malaria have scarce access to healthcare facilities. The introduction of m-Health technologies should be based on the 2G protocol, as 3G mobile network coverage is still limited. The western border and the central-Southeast are the regions where m-Health could reach the largest percentage of the remote population. Six districts (Arua, Apac, Lira, Kamuli, Iganga, and Mubende) could have the largest benefit because they account for about 28% of the remote population affected by falciparum malaria with access to the 2G mobile network.
  
  
  
  The application of m-Health technologies could improve access to medical services for distant populations. Affordable remote malaria diagnosis could help to decongest health facilities, reducing costs and contagion. The combination of m-Health and GIS could provide real-time and geo-localized data transmission, improving anti-malarial strategies in Uganda. Scalability to other countries and diseases looks promising.
authors: Cosmo Ltd., Accra, Ghana. alb.larocca@gmail.com.
authors: Alberto
authors: 0000-0002-4942-6200
authors: A
authors: Larocca
authors: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Moro Visconti
authors: Research and Consulting GIS, Natural Resources Management, Marine Ecology, Disaster Risk Reduction, Hue, Vietnam.
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Marconi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D019371:Topography, Medical; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Geographic information systems (GIS); Geospatial health technology; Healthcare; Information communication technology (ICT); Malaria mapping; Mobile phones; Process innovation; Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs); Remote diagnosis