1. MOBILEDIAGNOSIS PROJECT ®
Connecting Health Workers Worldwide
for better diagnosis

2. MobileDiagnosis® Project
How it all started: to promoting the human rights of African refugees
MobileDiagnosis® was founded in 2008 by Livia Bellina an Italian pathologist who worked
for the Italian National Health Service in Lampedusa Island. In April 2008, she found herself in
the urgent need to confirm a diagnosis of malaria from a blood sample of an African
immigrant. With no other means in her own hands, she took a picture of the microscopic field
using the camera incorporated in her mobile-phone, and sent it via MMS for tele-diagnostic
purposes to a reference center. This described Method has been filed for patent in April 2008,
with the sole purpose to of protecting the idea from commercialization and consent its free use
and dissemination.
Activity Images: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/107116750892549449944/albums
CV: http://www.mobilediagnosis.net/img/about_us/CV%20%20November%2012%202011%20Pdf.pdf
Patent: http://www.patsnap.com/patents/view/EP2116884A1.html

3. The Meeting with Eduardo Missoni
In 2009 Livia met Eduardo Missoni. He immediately understood the relevance of
the her Method, and after only two months they published the method it together
in Diagnostic Pathology, an international open access scientific journal. It was the
beginning of their collaboration, based on common vision and goals
MobileDiagnosis®, the Association
In 2010 Livia, Eduardo, Giorgio and Vincenzo Prestigiacomo (Livia’s sons) founded
MobileDiagnosis® a Non Profit Association to advocate the global access to care and to
education.
Regist. At 28-11-2011reg.n.15053 at Gov.Agency Palermo-Italy FC/P.I 97261360826
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MobileDiagnosis® homepage : http://www.mobilediagnosis.net
•
http://www.mobilediagnosis.net/img/what_we_do/statuto_md.pdf
•
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2706795/
http://eduardomissoni.info/

4. MobileDiagnosis® Creative Team
In 2010 was set up a team of young professionals in web design, architecture, design,
engineering, project specialists, which assemble cooperate with freelancers to promote
MobileDiagnosis®.
The team works to for increasing the visibility of MD and for the development of new methods
of remote training and innovative technological solutions for helping the rural communities in
a sustainable way.
The current MDCT members are: Giovanni Azzolina, Chiara Consiglio, Francesco Consiglio,
Giulia Delia, Nadia La Chiusa, Annalisa Maggio, Roberto Ingrassia, Domenico Scarpinato,
Fabrizio Vitrano.

5. MobileDiagnosis® : The Mission
Promotion of Global Access to the Health Care and Education in developing countries or
underdeveloped areas of developed countries by inserting the Method in the context of other
local projects, in partnership with local partners actors.
The Goal: empowering the currently neglected communities in order to be a part of a
world where the Health and Education are effectively recognized and implemented as
fundamental Rights of every human being.
We are thinking ethic : http://www.mobilediagnosis.net/what_we_do.php?item=4
All our projects will respect the “Green Code” :
http://www.mobilediagnosis.net/what_we_do.php?item=5

6. The Activities:
1. In developing countries: training local work forces
Creating a local "school” for the health education and training of local rural communities –
health workers and non health workers (community representatives). Establishing or
strengthening health centers for basic screenings , focused on parasitic diseases, neglected
diseases, mother and child care, community health care, etc., and link them with the schools
2. In developed countries: training of trainers
Creating a new generation of trainers by activating courses of MobileDiagnosis and a central
referent “office” with high skilled consultants and an open-source training centre, with an
images library and an interactive school.
3. Planning a global course of MobileDiagnosis® , equitable care and affordable
care, sustainable technologies.

7. The Project
Creation of a knowledge-centers network based on locally available and not expensive
affordable resources and poor technology, and the improving of local health workers that,
thanks to a domino effect will improve new health workers. It is operating on three levels:
1) Local level, using the mobile as didactic tool, to educate by showing and comparing
the images.
2) National level, thanks to a "mobile to mobile" or “mobile to web” network.
3) Global level by a network linked to a web technology platform, thanks to collaboration
with Medting started in 2011.
This system is operating locally-globally, and contributes to accelerate the Global Health care
provision, distance consulting and education, by connecting the “fragile” subjects, especially
in the hard contexts (war, migrations, sex discrimination, cast, clan, family) to a solidarity
network of highly skilled specialists and to knowledge centers.
http://medting.com

8. The Partnership Scenario:
Global-Local Partnership and Sustainability of the Project.
MobileDiagnosis®works in partnership with local NGOs, by creating a network of local rural
health-education posts, linked together and connected to the web platform of
MobileDiagnosis® Network. The web platform will store the images for creating of a central
database for educational and distance-schooling. In the rural local educational-health these
centers, students from friend's network could will be able to apply to for internships and stages
trainings on the field, bringing economic resources contributions (housing, food, local trips,
education) that will bring benefits to the local income. These economic resources will permit
the future management of projects a local level.”

9. Past Activities
2012 - Madagascar, Andavadoaka and Tulear, explorative mission acting to individuate the
best area for future projects
2011 - Afghanistan, Herat, Paediatric Hospital
2011 – Bangladesh Dinajpur, St Vincent Missionary Hospital
2010 - Bangladesh, Comilla and Bhuapur Grameen rural health centers
2009 - Uganda, Lacor, Gulu, St Mary Hospital
The Future Development of Project
Providing a network of education centres linked together and connected to the web platform of
MobileDiagnosis® Network for sharing of data, images and texts for education, and an
open-source training centre, with an images library and an interactive school, to which will
be possible to access from the educational page of MobileDiagnosis ® site.
The next goal is the expansion on a global level of MobileDiagnosis® Project.

10. Ongoing and Future Projects
2012 - Global Project with Ashoka Health Innovators Group (Preagreement)
2012 - Thailand - AIT- Bangkok - Course of MobileDiagnosis® on AIT (Preagreement) *
http://www.changemakers.com/main
http://www.fondazionedecarneri.it/
http://www.tropicalmed.eu/Page/WebObjects/PageTropE.woa/wa/displayPage?name=Department
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http://www.yunuscenter.ait.asia/?p=181
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* With Dr. Faiz Shah a medical doctor, head of sustainable development dept. at AIT Extension
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http://www.extension.ait.ac.th/index.php?q=staff/faiz-shah

11. Developing Projects: Innovation
1 Research and development of a new software for the recognition and early diagnosis of
parasitic diseases - algorithms for basic local immediate therapy
2 Design and development of innovative, unconventional prototypes of modular health and
education centers, thanks to research of new solutions, focused on environment respect and
autonomous generation of clean energy, sanitized water, and safe waste elimination in a
perspective of sustainability for the complete integration in the local scenario.
3 Research of dynamics that influences the social psychology, acting on the perception of a
living environment felt as hostile or unpleasant as, i.e. public areas such as waiting rooms,
schools, clinics etc.
4 Developing models for studying mechanisms that characterize the socio-cultural dynamics
of different rural communities and their needs perceived, thanks to socio-anthropological
surveys studying on local behaviour and traditions, for improve at the best the local
wellness respecting the local life, traditions, uses.
5 Distance learning through an "open access open-door" web site (work in progress) based
on an "interactive course" .This “evolution” of project , thanks to creation of a network of
education centres linked together and connected to the web platform of MobileDiagnosis®
Network for sharing of data, images and texts for education, and an open-source training
centre, with an images library and an interactive school. will be possible access to this
"school" from the educational page of MobileDiagnosis® website.
6 Promoting cultural exchanges and social engagement in different sectors by developing of
running workshops for local development workers : farmers ,carpenters, plumbers,
seamstresses, cooks, knowledge of food hygiene, enhancing the craft traditions, and
enabling the development of the small businesses.

12. Experience with a Nobel
In 2010 Livia went as volunteer in Bangladesh, upon Prof. Muhammad Yunus’ invitation,
teaching and applying mobilediagnosis, linking centers in rural areas of Bangladesh and the
headquarters in Dhaka. In Bangladesh she lived in rural centers (Tangail and Comilla). For
several weeks, she taught and worked with students all day long, from early morning to
sunset. In Grameen Foundation's health centers,she organized a “school “ of lowcost
telepathology and basic telemedicine, based only on the local minimal equipment and
available cellphones. 16 lab technicians of 16 different rural health centers where involved.
She taught the use of the microscope; theory and practice of laboratory techniques and basic
parasitology, urine analysis, hematology and stool sample examination, as well as capturing
and sending images from microscopical fields, and differential diagnosis and logic clinic.

13. Clinical Applications
During the permanence in Grameen Livia also taught to six medical doctors (about logic
clinic, differential diagnosis, primary health care and transmission of ultrasound images with
the mobile-phone) from 6 different health centers.
In the second phase of Grameen experience, the validity of the Method was confirmed,
thanks to experimental work Livia did in Dhaka at the central Grameen office. The results
were made possible by remote diagnosis through images sent by the previously trained lab-
technicians.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/a328n117r7775322
http://www.slideshare.net/livia_bellina/101115-berlino-window
http://www.mobilediagnosis.net/multimedia.php?section=brochure
https://picasaweb.google.com/107116750892549449944

14. Using the Mobile as educational-interactive tool: a new,
unconventional, method.
All MD students learned immediately and easily.
Livia used her Method also with illiterates and all
of them learned to take and send diagnostic
images. This Method could be an
useful tool in all the situations where the students
are fragile subjects and/or with learning problems
or communication difficulties.
Thanks to the feedback of her "students“ Livia
understood that all people were learning using
this new Method, casually born, based on mobile
use, mental maps and interactive session during
the lessons "on the field”: a new method created
day by day.
The psychological basis of these surprising
results are the subject of a scientific article (on
course of application for publishing).
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/tmj.2011.9976

15. Social Relevance
In In Paediatric Hospital of Herat the method proved its potential as tool for bridging socio
cultural gap and permit Care and Education to Afghanistan Woman, in a context, were women
access to a male dominated health system is restrained; two women with no education or lab
experience learned in a few minutes, driven by the curiosity caused by seeing Dr. Bellina
working, to take pictures from a microscope with a mobile phone.
https://plus.google.com/photos/107116750892549449944/albums/
https://plus.google.com/photos/107116750892549449944/albums/5637696535215645313
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvRok5QvO60
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/tmj.2011.9976
http://www.springerlink.com/content/a328n117r7775322
*Bellina, L,.Missoni, E. Mobile Diagnosis: Bridging Sociocultural Gaps and Empowering Women Telemedicine and e-Health
November 2011, 17(9): 750-750. doi:10.1089/tmj.2011.9976.

16. Awards, Credits, Qualification, Affiliation, Membership , Partnerships
2010 - WHO published MobileDiagnosis on the Compendium of Innovative Technologies
address to Global Health
2011 - Rockefeller pubished MobileDiagnosis in their site as "philanthropic project"
2011 - GHWF Alliance admitted MobileDiagnosis as members:
2011 - M-Health Alliance member:
2012 - Ashoka Global health Innovator group
2012 - The Rotary Inner Wheel, Palermo Centro, jointed with University Academic Board
Conferred to Livia the award “Premio Rosario La Duca, a life for Palermo”, for commitment
and work made with MobileDiagnosis on the fields in Developing Countries
Press:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/107116750892549449944/albums/5729415634620458209
http://www.who.int/medical_devices/innovation/new_emerging_tech_10final.pdf
http://www.bellagioinitiative.org/innovations/mobile-diagnosis-mobile-project/
http://www.who.int/workforcealliance/members_partners/member_list/mobilediagnosis/en/index.html
http://mhealthalliance.org/join-us/members

17. Useful links
MobileDiagnosis® website:
http://www.mobilediagnosis.net
MobileDiagnosis® brochure:
http://www.slideshare.net/livia_bellina/mobile-diagnosis-global-project
MobileDiagnosis® Youtube channel and videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mobilediagnosis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_751FZ7Ta_U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvRok5QvO60&
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb45mZdRhck
MobileDiagnosis® picture gallery:
http://www.mobilediagnosis.net/multimedia.php
MobileDiagnosis® publications list:
http://www.mobilediagnosis.net/multimedia.php?section=publications

19. Acknowledgements
We wish to thank all the students, the health workers, communities, local colleagues, the patients and all children
and the other people who made this study possible, including supporting our field work in Uganda, Banglades and
Afghanistan. In particular, in Bangladesh professor Muhammad Yunus, for his invitation to collaborate, great
availability, courtesy and personal support; the management and staff of Grameen Kalyan, the St.Vincent hospital
and the Italian Pontificio Istituto Missioni Estere (PIME). For the work in Uganda the Corti Foundation and the
management and staff of the St.Mary Lacor Hospital in Gulu. Finally, in Afghanistan staff and management of both
the General and the Paediatric Hospital in Herat, as well as the Italian NGO AISPO (Association Italiana per la
Solidarietà tra i Popoli). For Madagascar the Salesians Mission and Bishop Saro Vella, Bartolo Salvo, Maurizio Rossi
brother Nerina all Missionaries and seminarians in Tulear. The friends of Verona Negrar, Florence Careggi, ISS,
MEMP that permitted me to become that I am. Lastly, I wish to thanks for the great patience and continous
support Eduardo, my sons Vincenzo and Giorgio Prestigiacomo and my Family, my sister Ornella Bellina for
distance consulence, and my friend Riccardo Carrabino that believed in me, Sandro Calvani (Director ARCMDGs)
that believed in me , supported me and gave me his trust, Faiz Shah, for his great friendship and trust and my
young friends of MDCT
MDCTeam : Giovanni Azzolina, Chiara Consiglio, Francesco Consiglio, Giulia Delia, Nadia La Chiusa, Annalisa
Maggio, Roberto Ingrassia, Domenico Scarpinato, Fabrizio Vitrano hoping that this list could grow more and more.