HIV and syphilis testing and diagnosis could soon be simplified to a simple procedure that can be carried out using a cell phone accessory following the development of an appliance through a partnership of Rwandan and US researchers.

The dongle appliance is fitted onto a smartphone and can successfully test people for the virus that causes Aids and syphilis with a finger-prick of blood, according to research findings published on Wednesday.

The low-cost smartphone accessory can detect HIV and syphilis from a finger prick of blood in just 15 minutes.

Although it was developed by researchers from the University of Columbia, US, the research protocol, actual research and research journal was carried out in partnership with a team of Rwandans.

According to the research findings published in the Science Translational Medicine Journal, the team jointly carried out 96 tests in the country where the device correctly identified HIV and syphilis infections.

Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, the head of HIV division at the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, who was part of the research team, told The New Times that the team carried out tests in Kimironko, Biryogo and Gahanga suburbs in Kigali.

He said following the research findings, the device was awaiting approval from the World Health Organisation, which will mostly come after further tests, to ascertain that it was accurate and indeed functional.

The device, which is light and small enough to fit in an adult’s hand, had a manufacturing cost of only $34 (about Rwf24,000) as compared to laboratory equipment that cost about $18,000.

The device was able to achieve the goal of low power consumption, a benefit in places that do not always have electricity and compatibility to multiple gadgets, phones.

It cuts down the time taken to perform the tests to 15 minutes as opposed to two hours, the approximate time taken to diagnose both cases.

According to the research journal, despite the differences in cost and power source, the device can replicate all mechanical, optical, and electronic functions of a lab-based blood test.

How Rwanda got into the picture

Dr Nsanzimana said Rwanda was chosen as a research partner because of the existing partnership with the American varsity and because of previous research success in the area of HIV/Aids.

In 2013, Rwanda was the first country to launch the non-surgical circumcision (Prepex) with the aim of circumcising up to 700,000 men to help cut down the rate of HIV infection by 2016.

This was after a successful pilot phase and global approval of the mode of circumcision that is expected to be adopted across the world.

Dr Nsanzimana said Rwanda fares well in medical research as it fulfills all the three aspects for research.

“For a country to fare well in global research, it should have proper infrastructure, qualified medical personnel and an open mind for collaboration with other global partners. This (the findings) is proof that Rwanda meets all the criteria,” Dr Nsanzimana said.

When adopted, the device is expected to give health facilities an upper hand in the fight against the spread of HIV/Aids.

In the published research finding, Samuel K. Sia, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Columbia, who was the head of the research, said part of a wider effort to simplify medical tests that are normally done in a lab and that could be used in poor or remote locations.

“Our work shows that a full laboratory-quality immunoassay can be run on a smartphone accessory. This kind of capability can transform how health care services are delivered around the world,” Sia wrote in the journal.

He said the dongle presents new capabilities for a broad range of users, from health care providers to consumers.

“By increasing detection of syphilis infections, we might be able to reduce deaths tenfold. We can be able to scale up HIV testing at the community level with immediate antiretroviral therapy that could nearly stop HIV transmissions and approach elimination of this devastating disease,” Sia added.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, HIV prevalence stands at 3 per cent in the country and more than 135,000 adults and 8,000 children living with HIV are on anti-retroviral therapy.

Over the past 10 years, there has been a 50 per cent reduction in HIV prevalence.

The statistics further indicate that between July 2013 and June, last year, the number of health facilities offering voluntary testing and counselling increased from 493 to 544 facilities enabling the country to achieve 99 per cent of national coverage.

Currently, Rwanda is also involved in medical research of HIV vaccine that could further boost efforts in the fight against the disease.