Thursday, 4 February 2010

Cambodia finds cool solution for clinic storage

Keeping cool: malaria tests inside a cool box
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
http://www.scidev.net/
via CAAI News Media

Buth Reaksmey Kongkea
3 February 2010

[PHNOM PENH] A 'cool box' developed in Cambodia uses an age-old principle to keep rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria cool in remote clinics, say researchers.

Clinics in Cambodia where microscopy is not available are increasingly using RDTs to diagnose malaria.

But temperatures in clinic storerooms can reach up to 42 degrees Celsius — much higher than the 2–30 degrees Celsius recommended for storage — and electricity supplies are often unavailable or not reliable enough for storing tests in fridges.

RDTs become less sensitive and stop working sooner if they are not stored at the correct temperature and humidity.

In research published in Malaria Journal last month (23 January), the boxes were found to extend the lifespan of RDTs.

The 24-litre boxes are made by the Cambodian National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control (CNM) from one millimetre-thick iron sheeting. A tray in the top holds nine litres of water which is drawn into a cotton outer layer.

They remain cold by evaporative cooling, in which water in the damp cotton takes in heat as it evaporates, cooling the metal sides. The same principle has long been used to keep food and water cool in the tropics and sub-tropics.

Researchers installed the boxes in clinics in Battambang province and routinely measured the temperature and humidity inside the storerooms and the boxes. RDTs stored in the boxes were periodically removed for testing.

The boxes kept the temperature below 30 degrees Celsius on all but a few occasions. RDTs that had been stored in the storerooms stopped working after 210 days but those kept in the cool boxes gave correct results for 360 days.

Duong Socheat, advisor to Cambodia's Ministry of Health and director of CNM, said that about 2,000 cool boxes have been distributed to remote clinics in 20 provinces. They cost between US$60 and US$80.

He said that the boxes could extend remote communities' access to other perishable diagnostics and medicines.

Yok Sovan, a malaria researcher within the Ministry of Health, said that Cambodia has decided to use this old technique now because it simply cannot afford to buy modern materials such as fridges in which to store diagnostic kits and drugs in remote areas. The researchers said that this is the first time the technique has been used for public health on a large scale.

Sovan told SciDev.Net that the technology could be used in neighbouring countries such Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your style is very unique compared to other folks I have read stuff from.
I appreciate you for posting when you've got the opportunity, Guess I'll just book mark this web site.


Feel free to surf to my blog post; buy instagram followers and likes

Anonymous said...

Whats up are using Wordpress for your blog platform?
I'm new to the blog world but I'm trying to get started
and set up my own. Do you need any html coding expertise to make your
own blog? Any help would be greatly appreciated!


Check out my website; buy followers on instagram

Anonymous said...

Fantastic beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your site, how could i subscribe for a weblog website?
The account helped me a appropriate deal. I were a little bit familiar of this your broadcast provided bright transparent
idea

my blog post :: twitter retweets free way to get more instagram followers

Anonymous said...

What i don't realize is if truth be told how you are now not really much more neatly-liked than you might be right now. You're so intelligent.
You know therefore considerably when it comes to
this subject, produced me individually consider it from a
lot of varied angles. Its like men and women aren't involved until it is something to do with Girl gaga! Your personal stuffs great. All the time maintain it up!

Feel free to visit my weblog :: customized twitter backgrounds

Anonymous said...

Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I seriously enjoyed reading it, you
will be a great author.I will be sure to bookmark your blog and will
eventually come back later in life. I want to encourage that you
continue your great work, have a nice morning!

My weblog; buy twitter followers no password

Anonymous said...

I'm gone to convey my little brother, that he should also go to see this blog on regular basis to take updated from most recent gossip.

Also visit my blog post: how to buy followers on social media service twitter

Anonymous said...

An impressive share! I've just forwarded this onto a co-worker who was conducting a little research on this. And he in fact ordered me dinner due to the fact that I stumbled upon it for him... lol. So let me reword this.... Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to talk about this subject here on your website.

my website - way to buy real cheap twitter followers free

Anonymous said...

WOW just what I was searching for. Came here by searching
for localisar

my homepage - get targeted twitter followers