Digital malaria surveillance in Ethiopia to improve outbreak detection
Official title: Cross-sectoral partnership in leveraging the SORMAS digital system for advancing malaria surveillance in Ethiopia
Funded at University of Nebraska Medical Center · NIH-11624987 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A collaboration to add a malaria-specific digital module to an existing surveillance system in Africa to help detect and respond to outbreaks faster.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $39,455 |
| NIH project number | 3R21TW012954-01A1S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11624987 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals in malaria-endemic areas or health facilities involved in surveillance and reporting in Ethiopia.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not involved in surveillance activities or from non-endemic settings may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will build and test a malaria surveillance module inside the SORMAS system in malaria-endemic settings, using a user-friendly analytical app to improve data quality and timeliness. Researchers will compare digital reporting to traditional paper methods to see if outbreak signals are detected sooner and actions can be taken more quickly. The effort aims to create a scalable framework that could be used for malaria and other infectious diseases, benefiting communities and travelers alike. The study is led by the University of Nebraska Medical Center and involves cross-sector collaboration.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, health authorities could detect and respond to malaria outbreaks more rapidly, reducing illness and deaths.
How similar studies have gone: Previous efforts show digital surveillance can improve timeliness and data quality, but integration with SORMAS for malaria is still being evaluated.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mengist, Abraham — University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Mengist, Abraham
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.