By Dr. Muthu Dhandapani
Despite the significant pool of brilliant healthcare professionals, India severely lacks in terms of the capacity required to deal with the disease burden in this country. With the negligible presence of healthcare coverage in rural and remote areas and even Tier-3 or 4 towns, many lives are lost every year due to preventable diseases like malaria. Even though the Southeast Asian region has done very well and the number of malaria cases has come down by about 76% in the new millennium, the region still accounts for about 2% (5.4 million cases in 2021) of the global caseload. India accounts for 79% of these cases and more than 82% of fatalities caused by malaria in the region. Considering that it is a parasitic infection that gets transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes, prompt diagnosis is critical to the timely and successful treatment of malaria.
Malaria Diagnosis in India – The Conventional Processes
Microscopy – In this approach, a patient’s blood sample is examined under a microscope to detect the malaria parasite. It is one of the most conventional and accurate malaria testing methodologies but requires qualified healthcare professionals and sophisticated equipment. Moreover, the results could take several hours to come. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) – PCR is a molecular technique that helps in identifying the genetic material of the malaria parasite in the patient’s blood sample. It is a highly sensitive and specific form of testing but has the same shortcomings just like the microscopy process such as the requirement of specialized equipment, trained medical professionals and a wider time span to deliver reports.
Rural areas in India lack the availability of such specialized facilities and equipment which is one of the key reasons why the timely detection of malaria infections remains low. However, the brighter side of the story is that now with the introduction of point-of-care diagnostic devices and technologies, all the above-mentioned shortcomings that rural India faces can be eliminated.
Why are POC diagnostic devices effective?
POC devices are portable and easy-to-use diagnostic tools. While they offer medical grade accuracy of diagnosis and can test patients at the point of care itself, they also don’t necessarily require professionally qualified medical professionals to operate them. Thus they can be seamlessly used in rural areas with very limited resources. POC devices are now being deployed in diverse settings such as primary and community health centers, and even by rural entrepreneurs who acquire and learn to operate them for door-to-door testing and diagnosis of infections like malaria. Such deployments make POC devices more convenient, economical, and easily accessible to patients. Further, unlike lab-based testing where patients first get tested and receive reports hours or even days later, POC diagnostic devices usually provide results within seconds or 10-15 minutes max. Further, the devices are often battery-operated and capable of sharing test results and patient information online with doctors located in hospitals. Telemedicine and video consultations can be provided to patients without delay and malaria infections can be prevented from worsening if diagnosed at an early stage. POC devices enable the identification of malaria parasites through rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs).
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) – RDTs are the most widely used POC devices for malaria diagnosis in India. These are simple to use and can be operated by anyone with basic training, providing results in less than 15 minutes. These devices detect antigens produced by the malaria parasite in a patient’s blood sample. Despite being less comprehensive than microscopy or PCR testing, RDTs still have a high rate of accuracy and generally detect most malaria infections.
The Final Words!
POC devices have a key role to play in India’s healthcare ecosystem in the near future. For India to achieve the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of a ‘Malaria Mukt Bharat’ by 2030, it is imperative to establish a pan-India network of easily accessible, fast, accurate, and convenient diagnostic services. This is where POC devices are emerging as the ideal option. With greater deployment, these devices are also going to provide economies of scale, and would undoubtedly help India in getting rid of this preventable disease!
(The author is a Vice President-QA, RA & Product Delivery, HealthCube. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the FinancialExpress.com.)
