The Diagnostic Nanotools group at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), led by Dr. Eva Baldrich, has been working since 2018 on the development of a new technology for the early diagnosis of malaria. The team has now taken a key step forward with its first field validation in Africa. In mid-October, three researchers from the group traveled to Angola to test, for the first time outside the laboratory, an initial prototype.

The trip made it possible to assess the device’s real-world performance, understand contextual limitations, and gain essential insights for the next phases of the project. “This first trip was mainly a first contact, we wanted to see what it was like to use the technology in the field,” explains Dr. Baldrich.

Testing the technology where it is meant to work

The validation was carried out over three weeks at a local hospital, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Paz in Cubal, within the framework of two projects running in parallel: on the one hand, a European EuroNanoMed project (QUPID), focused on producing very simple paper-based devices; on the other, the CATMAL project, supported by the Health Research call of the “la Caixa” Foundation, which aims to move toward a more sophisticated and efficient technology in collaboration with the National Center for Microelectronics (IMB-CNM, CSIC) and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC).

One of the major challenges was working under real field conditions, very different from those of the laboratory. The team had to adapt to local logistics, limited resource availability, and the challenges inherent to a tropical environment. In the months prior to the trip, the group devoted significant effort to optimizing the production, stability, and transport of reagents, which were lyophilized so they could be carried as powders and avoid dependence on the cold chain.

Another key consideration was the involvement of local staff. Thanks to project funding, two Angolan technicians were hired and trained to support the project for two years, a crucial step to ensure the technology’s future sustainability. “The idea is not just to bring a technology from Europe, but to lay the foundations so it can be manufactured and used directly there,” emphasizes Dr. Baldrich.

Comparing, learning, and refining

During the stay, the team compared the device’s performance with several reference methods, such as microscopy, commercial rapid tests, ELISA, and PCR. This comparison was particularly complex, as all techniques had to be performed using a single drop of blood obtained from a finger prick.

The initial results indicate that the device offers sensitivity comparable to commercial rapid tests, with the added advantage of providing quantitative results, that is, it allows estimation of parasitic load and disease severity.

However, false positives and false negatives were also detected, a limitation already present in current technologies and now being analyzed in greater detail, pending completion of PCR data once samples are processed in Barcelona. “For the first time taking the technology into the field, its performance has been very solid. Now we know what we need to improve,” summarizes the researcher.

Beyond the technical results, the team highlights feedback from local healthcare staff as one of the major successes of the trip. Angolan technicians were able to use the devices and provided very valuable insights into which steps of the protocol need to be simplified. “Some things we see as critical are not so critical for them, and vice versa. This dialogue is essential if you want the technology to be truly useful,” explains Dr. Baldrich.

One step closer to malaria eradication

Malaria remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases in the world, with more than 200 million cases and half a million deaths each year. The World Health Organization warns that, following the COVID-19 pandemic, cases have increased again due to reduced resources allocated to malaria control.

In this context, the CATMAL project aims to contribute to the development of new diagnostic tools that are more sensitive, objective, and accessible, especially designed for mass screening campaigns and for identifying asymptomatic patients or those with low parasitic loads.

The experience in Angola was also a personal and human challenge for the team, which worked under demanding conditions, sharing spaces, resources, and long working days in an environment very different from the European one. “It’s a tough but very enriching experience, one that helps you better understand the reality for which you are developing the technology,” concludes Dr. Baldrich.

With the lessons learned from this first validation, the project is now preparing for a larger-scale validation planned for late 2026, a fundamental step toward bringing this technology into real-world use and advancing the global fight against malaria.