PANJIM: In order to achieve zero malaria cases in Goa, a special mobile application will be developed that would track the movement of migrant labourers within Goa and record their health condition for early medical intervention and prevention of spread of the malaria disease.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved funding for the project, which would be undertaken by Directorate of Health Services (DHS), Government of Goa, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR) Field Station Goa, Goa University’s Microbiology Department and BITS Pilani Goa Campus, which would be developing the app.
“We have planned a study with different partners in Goa as part of the vector-borne disease control programme. We have received approval for grant from ICMR for elimination of malaria from Goa. As part of this programme, four agencies have come together to develop a multi-platform mobile application that would help in monitoring the movement of migrant labourers, who are vulnerable to malaria infection,” Officer in-charge of NIMR Field Station Goa, Dr Ajeet Mohanty told Herald.
He said that being a floating population, tracking the movement of these labourers working at various construction sites becomes very difficult. Many go back to their native places, where they get infected and carry the infection back to Goa and other States wherever they are deployed.
“They pose the risk of spreading the malaria infection within the society. After biting a malaria patient, a mosquito may bite a healthy person somewhere else and transmit the disease. This poses a huge challenge in front of us in terms of controlling spread of malaria,” Dr Mohanty said.
In this background, it has been planned to develop a multi-platform mobile application that would work in all types of mobile handsets like the iOS system, Android, GSM and CDMA phones. It would be also multi-lingual.
“Not all labourers would have Android phones. So, for success of this programme, the app has to be operational on all types of handsets. It would be also in multiple languages for ease of use. Migration associated malaria is a major concern in Goa and majority of the cases are reported among migrant labourers,” he said.
Once the workers are enrolled into this programme, they would be screened for malaria infection to rule out the infection.
“Those found infected would be immediately provided treatment and those who are not infected, would be monitored through this app as long as they stay in Goa and whenever they have any symptoms, their information can be immediately fed into the app, which would be linked with the State Vector Control Programme Officer and the health officers of the Primary Health Centres,” the NIMR Officer In-charge said.
As soon as information is received about any labourer found symptomatic of malaria, immediate health intervention would be provided by the DHS, Goa.
State Programme Officer In-charge, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme Dr Kalpana Mahatme said that this project would also help in ensuring proper compliance to the treatment already initiated.
“There are cases where patients miss the dosage or don’t complete the medication course as prescribed. Through this app, we will be able to ensure treatment compliance. As soon as the labour contractor registers workers in his site, the app will get installed in their respective mobile phones and monitoring will start,” Dr Mahatme said.
The server room would be at her office in Panjim and two research study centres will be set up at two health centres at Panjim and Margao along with one each at Cortalim and Candolim, where there are major construction sites.
“We will immediately know the details of all registered labourers and even the contractor won’t have any chance to hide any information. In Goa there are only two indigenous cases,” she said.
