A Ugandan inventor has won a major prize for a device which tests for malaria without drawing blood.

Brian Gitta, 24, 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.

The diagnosis is ready to be shared to a mobile phone in a minute.

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 Mr 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 computer science, of diagnosing a disease without having to prick somebody?” Mr Sekitto said.

SOURCE: BBC Read more BBC