Wednesday, April 29th 2026

Paraparatv.id | Jayapura | The commemoration of World Malaria Day was marked by the closing ceremony and announcement of winners of the PlasmoDX 2026 Malaria Parasite Identification Quiz Competition. The event underscored the role of digital innovation in strengthening the capacity of health workers, particularly in Tanah Papua.

The PlasmoDX competition was conducted online from 10 to 24 April 2026 and successfully attracted 500 participants from 31 regencies/municipalities. Most participants came from Tanah Papua, representing diverse institutions including hospitals, health centres, private laboratories, and universities. High enthusiasm was evident, with some participants attempting the quiz dozens of times to improve their scores.

The Chair of the Organising Committee, Dr Lenny Ekawati, explained that the competition was designed to enhance the accuracy of laboratory analysts in identifying malaria parasite species and stages. Each participant completed 42 questions per session, with a time limit of 25 seconds per question, and was required to participate in at least three sessions.

The scoring system was automated, based on accuracy and the average of the best scores. This approach proved effective in improving both the speed of reading blood smears and the accuracy of diagnosis.

In his remarks, the Principal Investigator of SHIELD PAPUA, Dr Iqbal Elyazar, highlighted that the competition represents a novel breakthrough and is considered one of the first online competitions in Indonesia, and even in the Asia-Pacific region, to focus on malaria parasite identification. He expressed hope that the initiative would continue to grow, including fostering cross-regional and international collaboration.

Support for this innovation was also expressed by the Indonesian Ministry of Health. Representing the PATVZGHBTB Working Team, Dr Febry Immanuella emphasised that rapid and accurate diagnosis is key to malaria elimination. She commended the PlasmoDX platform as an innovative learning solution that addresses the limitations of conventional training while strengthening human resource capacity in laboratory health services.

Similarly, the Acting Head of the Papua Provincial Health Office, Dr Beeri I.S. Wopari, M.Kes., described PlasmoDX as a digital breakthrough aligned with national policy directions to expand access to technology-based services. He also encouraged more comprehensive planning and greater budgetary support for future competitions.

Beyond being a competition, the event provided a valuable learning experience for participants. Many found the level of difficulty challenging, requiring high precision, while also serving as an effective training platform to recognise variations in malaria parasite morphology.

At the closing ceremony, three winners with the highest scores were announced. First place was awarded to Ilham Munir from the Sarmi District Health Office with a score of 93.7%. Second place went to Antoni Tulle from Meysa Clinic, Boven Digul, with a score of 91.3%, while third place was secured by Raifit from Mitra Masyarakat Clinic, Mimika District, with a score of 90.8%.

In his statement, Ilham Munir expressed gratitude and emphasised that the learning process was the most important aspect of the competition. He encouraged laboratory personnel in Tanah Papua to continue developing their skills and to embrace new challenges.

With the conclusion of the PlasmoDX 2026 Competition, it is hoped that such digital innovations will continue to be developed as part of the national strategy towards malaria elimination by 2030. (KT)

Source: https://www.paraparatv.id/2026/04/penutupan-lomba-plasmodx-2026-momentum-inovasi-digital-di-hari-malaria-sedunia/