Make a phone call and test for TB; the future of mobile phones

Submitted by tusabe about 7 months ago

New innovative technology has made possible the migration of the laboratory microscope on to the pocket mobile phone. Yes its true, but only that this version of phone may not yet have reached your country market or it might have reached there, but people might not yet be aware of its existence. Similarly, the price of such a type of phone is not yet very user friendly, especially in third world developing countries.

In comparison to the already existing high technology gadgets in countries like Japan and the United States of America, it’s currently possible to know your blood pressure and blood sugar by simply wearing that gadget on your wrist and simply reading from it.

In May 2009, I had gone to attend a work shop at Regency Hotel in Bakuli, a place approximately a mile and a half from Kampala city. Next to the hotel is a small pharmacy where I bought some panadol tablets. As I was buying, I noticed something very interesting; it was the malaria testing kit. According to the pharmacist, it contains nerve prickets, malaria litmus papers, and blotting tissues. Within a few minutes of putting blood on the litmus paper, you will be able to see with your own eyes whether you have malaria or not. This is a self-test malaria process made possible for any one who desires to test and can access the kit.

Similarly, more in depth inquiries will be made to understand how specifically this microscope can be used to diagnose TB at a personal level. Should the interest of TB not have been considered at the initial designing moment, again as usual, the KCs will carry on their advocacy work and make sure that International AIDS Alliance forwards this concern to the ministries of health and WHO, who will in turn forward it to the manufacturers to address.

Keywords: cost development innovative microscope TB technology test

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