Towards digital diagnosis of malaria: How far have we reached?

Abstract

The need for precise and early diagnosis of malaria and its distinction from other febrile illnesses is no doubt a prerequisite, primarily when standard rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) cannot be totally relied upon. At the time of disease outbreaks, the pressure on hospital staff remains high and the chances of human error increase. Therefore, in the era of digitalisation of medicine as well as diagnostic approaches, various technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) should be deployed to further aid the diagnosis, especially in endemic and epidemic situations. Computational techniques are now more at the forefront than ever, and the interest in developing such efficient technologies is continuously increasing. A comprehensive understanding of these digital technologies is needed to maintain the scientific rigour in these attempts. This would enhance the implementation of these novel technologies for malaria diagnosis. This review highlights the progression, strengths, and limitations of various computing techniques so far employed to diagnose malaria.