What young African children need most is exposure to knowledge, not pity. This is what Brian Gitta, a 24-year-old Ugandan software engineer and 2018 winner of the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, has proved. He has shown that solutions can come from personal experience and normal day-to-day struggles. After missing university lectures due to chronic malaria, Brian developed what he called Matibabu, a device that tests for malaria without a blood test.
Gitta became the youngest winner of the prestigious Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, by developing an innovation that addresses crucial problems in his community in a new and appropriate way – exactly what the competition encourages.
With a team to back him, Gitta came up with Matibabu, a device that tests for malaria without drawing blood. Matibabu, which means ‘treatment’ in Swahili, is a low-cost, reusable device that requires no expertise to use and gives results in minutes. The device clips onto a patient’s finger and shines a red beam through the user’s finger, detecting changes in the shape, colour and concentration of red blood cells, all of which are used to detect malaria.
The device is currently undergoing testing in partnership with a national hospital in Uganda and is sourcing suppliers for the sensitive magnetic and laser components required to scale up production. Once this phase has been completed, the device will be marketed to individuals, health centers and diagnostic suppliers. And Brian will smile to the banks, as the inventor.
