Using fingerprint-linked digital records and reminders to help children finish their malaria and routine vaccines
Official title: Testing a Biometric Identification System to Improve Malaria Vaccine Completion
Run by University of Michigan · NCT07261280 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether a biometric-linked digital vaccination system plus voice-message reminders can help children in Ghana complete their malaria and routine vaccines.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 15 Years to 49 Years |
| Sex | Women only |
| Enrollment | 4715 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Michigan Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Oti Region) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 15, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 31, 2027 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | December 3, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07261280 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are pregnant women in their second or third trimester or mothers of infants under six months, aged 15–49, who plan to stay in the area for at least 12 months and provide consent.
✕Probably not a fit
Men, non-emancipated minors, women outside the 15–49 age range, people who plan to move away within 12 months, those who do not consent, and children already fully vaccinated are unlikely to benefit from joining.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This cluster-randomized controlled trial in Ghana's Oti Region will test a biometric-linked digital vaccination record system to improve completion of the four-dose malaria vaccine and routine infant immunizations. Participating health facilities will use Simprints' biometric IDs to automatically identify children who are behind schedule and guide health worker outreach, while caregivers receive automated voice-message reminders. Pregnant women in their last two trimesters and mothers of infants under six months who remain in the area and consent will be enrolled, with randomization at the community or facility level. The primary outcome is the proportion of children completing malaria and routine vaccination schedules, measured through the digital records and health service data.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the system could raise vaccine completion rates and lower malaria illness, hospitalizations, and deaths among young children.
How similar studies have gone: Automated reminders have improved vaccination adherence in other settings, but biometric-linked systems for childhood vaccine completion are relatively novel and less widely tested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Pregnant women (in the last two trimesters), aged 15-49 years old, who do not plan to permanently move in the next 12 months. * Women with children under 6 months old, aged 15-49 years old, who do not plan to permanently move in the next 12 months. Exclusion Criteria: * Non-age-eligible women. * Men and non-emancipated minors. * Women who do not consent.
Where it's running
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Communities in Oti Region
Oti Region, Ghana Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Elisa Maria Maffioli, PhD — University of Michigan
- Study coordinator: Elisa Maria Maffioli, PhD
- Email: elisamaf@umich.edu
- Phone: 443-875-4930
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.