Malaria Slide Bank

December 26, 2024| Completed Project | Reading time: 4 min

Introduction

Since 2010, the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC) has been helping to improve how malaria is diagnosed. They have a special collection of over 6,000 malaria slides, called the Malaria Slide Bank (MSB), which is used to train and test microscopists, who examine blood samples for malaria. They allow microscopists to practice and improve their skills so they can identify malaria quickly and accurately. This is especially important in places where malaria is common.

These slides are made with great care at KHRC and checked by six experts to ensure the status of each slide is accurate. They are then used to certify microscopists as qualified experts by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Investigators

Kwaku Poku Asante, Seth Owusu-Agyei, David Dosoo, Dennis Adu-Gyasi (KHRC); Nicole Whitehurst (MCDI); Samuel Kaba, Williams Mills-Pappoe (ICD); Ralph Ntumy, Felicia Amoo-Sakyi (Impact Malaria), Mohammed Adams (MCDI).

Funders

Kintampo Health Research Center (KHRC), Medical Care Development International (MCDI), PATH Malaria Care, Impact Malaria, World Health Organization.

How the Slides Are Made

To make the slides, KHRC collects blood samples. Positive malaria samples come from health facilities in the Bono East Region with permission from patients, while negative samples come from people who have returned from malaria-free countries and have not been in malaria-affected areas for at least two weeks.

From one blood sample, KHRC can prepare 100 to 200 slides following WHO guidelines. These slides are carefully prepared and protected to last up to 10 years when stored in the right temperature.

Training and Competency Assessments Across Ghana
The Giemsa-stained malaria blood slides from the MSB are widely used to train medical laboratory professionals across Ghana. They also play an important role in competency assessments and programs like Outreach Training and Support Supervision (OTSS), which ensure accurate malaria testing. These activities are organized by the Clinical Laboratory Unit of the Institutional Care Division of the Ghana Health Service and the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP).

More Than Just Malaria Slides
In addition to malaria blood slides, KHRC also has over 2,000 placental tissue blocks fixed in paraffin wax, along with slides prepared from these samples using a special staining process called Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E). These were collected from a study involving more than 2,000 pregnant women, who were followed from pregnancy until at least six months after giving birth. These placental slides are now used to train experts who study placental malaria, a condition that affects pregnant women and their babies.

A Resource for Ghana
In Ghana, KHRC stores these slides and placental tissues for the northern part of the country. They are used for training health workers and improving malaria testing. Anyone who needs the slides must get permission from the National Clinical Laboratory Unit, which ensures the slides are used properly.

Why It Matters
This initiative is saving lives by making sure health workers are well-trained to detect malaria. With better testing, patients can get the right treatment faster, helping to reduce the number of people suffering from malaria and other complications. KHRC’s work continues to strengthen Ghana’s fight against malaria and improve healthcare outcomes across the country.

Collaborating Institutions
Institutional Care Division (ICD), Ghana Health Service, Impact Malaria, PATH Malaria Care, Improving Malaria Diagnosis (IMaD), Centres for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), Medical Care Development International (MCDI), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Partners.