Malaria Prevention App
A smartphone app that will assist Peace Corps Volunteers in sustaining malaria prevention practices over 2 years.
Challenge
Peace Corps Volunteers serve in many countries where Malaria is still a major problem. This disease can be deadly, especially to those without built up resistance. There are multiple ways to reduce the risk of contracting the mosquito borne disease including: religious use of insect repellant, wearing protective clothing at dusk and dawn when the mosquito’s are most active, sleeping under a bed net, and taking preventative medications. The unique challenge to Peace Corps Volunteers and other Americans serving overseas is to sustain these preventative efforts over an extended period of time.
Background
Research by the Peace Corps has found that many Volunteers have successfully used cell phone reminders to take their weekly or daily preventative medications. Using a smart phone application with basic reminder functionality as a baseline, we are looking for creative new functionalities to include in the app that will influence the behavior of the user in positive ways.
Considerations
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The app should be designed for majority offline use.
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The Malaria Medications we offer to our volunteers are:
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Doxycycline: Daily use.
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Malarone: Weekly use
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Mefloquine: Weekly use
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Research has shown that Volunteers don’t take their preventative medications for the following reasons:
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simply forget to take it.
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forget to bring their meds when traveling.
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are misinformed about the side effects of the preventative meds or about the dangers of malaria.
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are influenced by their peer Volunteers. Can be positively or negatively.
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Forget to take the meds for the short period after they return home.
Malaria Facts
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/index.html
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/
http://www.who.int/malaria/publications/world_malaria_report_2012/en/index.html
Testimonials