Ugandan Inventor Scoops Africa Prize For First Bloodless Malaria Test
By Elite Reporter
Brian Gitta, 24, a Ugandan inventor, has won the Royal Academy of Engineering's Africa Prize for a device that detects tell-tale signs of malaria by shining a red beam of light on the patient's finger, which is different from the traditional method of drawing blood.
The diagnosis is ready to be shared to a mobile phone in a minute, using the App he invented.Gitta said he developed the device, called Matibabu, after blood tests failed to diagnose his own malaria.
Malaria is the leading cause of death in Uganda, but it took four blood tests to diagnose Gitta with the disease, Shafik Sekitto, who is part of the Matibabu team, told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.
"[Gitta] brought up the idea: 'Why can't we find a new way of using the skills we have found in...
