Diverging Mobile Technology’s Cognitive Techniques into Tackling Malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review

Abstract

Malaria is one of the most widespread infectious diseases caused by plasmodium parasites that continues to decimate populations globally. Several initiatives have been set as commitments towards malaria elimination and eradication. The initiatives have been rolled out to implement and monitor malaria control measures and interventions such as mosquito control, indoor residual spraying, intermittent preventive prophylaxis, insecticide-treated nets, prompt and effective treatment, and behavioural change education. To alleviate the catastrophic effects of malaria, some countries developed and deployed mobile health applications but failed to yield desired results especially in malaria-endemic countries in sub-Saharan Africa due to several emerging impediments. Therefore, we applied a rapid review to comprehensively review digital technologies and mobile applications deployed in various application domains to fight malaria while introspecting their success and challenges. The study revealed that past malaria mobile applications failed because of the digital divide, limited infrastructure, lack of internet access, among others. To strengthen malaria interventions, we propose the integration of cognitive computing techniques when developing cognitive malaria mobile health interventions. Such cognitive mobile applications could facilitate remote real-time collection of malaria data from isolated populations, disseminate malaria information, monitoring and predicting malaria prevalence and vector behaviours. This presents avenues for reconsidering malaria elimination strategies that subsequently reduce health service costs, increase accessibility, and facilitate vector control measures, contingent upon the success of countries having reached the malaria elimination phase.