The trial of a new technology which uses smartphones and tablets for diagnoses of diseases and drug prescriptions for children under the age of five has been rolled out in Adamawa State by the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC.

The initiative which is a collaboration of the ICRC, the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Swiss TPH and the Adamawa Primary Health Care Agency, will be piloted by medical workers in ICRC-supported primary health care facilities in Adamawa state.

A statement by the Red Cross noted that the aim of the scheme is to improve the performance of healthcare workers by providing standardized procedures for the management of common medical issues.

The Coordinator of ICRC’s health activities in Nigeria,  Hashemi Padshah, said: “This new smartphone-age tool could become an essential and valuable part of ensuring a successful medical diagnosis and treatment plan for children in Nigeria.”

The new technology, known as the ALgorithm for the MANAgement of CHildhood illnesses, ALMANACH, is an upgraded electronic version of the IMCI – Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses – an initiative that focuses both on curative care and the prevention of disease.

Padshah stated that “Given the ICRC’s work in war-torn countries, we have seen that a lack of appropriately trained health workers and diagnostic tools harms the quality of health care delivered to children under five years.

“Thanks to the use of ALMANACH, health workers can better diagnose diseases and prescribe appropriate medication.”

According to the Red Cross chief, “ALMANACH is also a data collection tool that can provide epidemiological surveillance information and lead to improved standards for the management of common diseases in Nigeria.”

The new technology was launched in Yola, the capital of Adamawa state, at an occasion attended by the Adamawa State Commissioner of Health, Fatima Abubakar, and Executive Chairman of Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abdulahi Belel.

Since 2015, the ICRC has supported seven primary health care centers in Adamawa state through the rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure, supply of equipment and drugs, as well as training for health workers.