Malaria microscopy training in East Sumba
Building diagnostic accuracy in remote laboratories
In Waingapu, East Sumba, Fair Future teams and Kawan Baik Indonesia field teams brought together nearly thirty malaria microscopists for two days of intensive, hands-on training focused on a single priority: accuracy. In ultra-rural settings, malaria diagnosis is the gatekeeper to survival. Treatment without certainty risks failure. Missed parasites mean untreated children.
The training covered every technical step, from safe capillary blood collection to slide preparation, staining protocols, microscope calibration, and quality control. Thick and thin smears were prepared repeatedly using real patient samples from the region. Participants learned to identify Plasmodium species, assess parasite density, and recognise artefacts that lead to false negatives. Each microscopist received individual microscope time under the supervision of senior laboratory trainers from Kupang, working alongside Fair Future Foundation medical staff.
Rapid diagnostic tests were discussed alongside microscopy to clarify their respective roles in remote care. Biosafety was reinforced at every station, protecting both staff and patients. Fabric malaria posters developed by Fair Future were used as educational tools and will return to villages where medical information is scarce.
The course concluded with blinded slide readings and a collective review of results. This work strengthens a local diagnostic frontline and anchors malaria control in science, precision, and field reality.
Alex Wettstein – Fair Future Foundation medico-social camp in East Sumba – Rumah Kambera, Lambanapu – the 27th of January 2025
