Research
#7 Research meet-up: Daily route optimisation cut unnecessary medical sample trips by 55% in Malawi
A new system for transporting medical samples in Malawi reduced unnecessary courier trips by 55% and shortened average transportation delays by an estimated 25%. This result was achieved by combining low-cost data sharing through feature phones with daily route optimisation for couriers.
In this research meet-up, led by Emma Gibson (MIT, Cambridge, USA), we looked at a new system for transporting medical samples in Malawi that reduced unnecessary courier trips by 55% and shortened average transportation delays by an estimated 25%. This result was achieved by combining low-cost data sharing through feature phones with daily route optimisation for couriers.
Why does sample transportation matter for diagnosis?
Centralised diagnostic networks rely on samples such as blood and sputum being transported from healthcare facilities to laboratories.
When transportation is inefficient, samples can take longer to reach laboratories and diagnostic results can take longer to return to patients. These delays can affect how quickly clinical decisions are made.
The project focused on a national sample-transportation system operated by Riders For Health in Malawi.
Why is this a prescriptive analytics problem?
Courier routes need to respond to the number of samples waiting at different healthcare facilities.
The project therefore combines two components. A low-cost feature-phone platform allows facilities to share information about current sample volumes. An optimisation model then uses that information to generate efficient routes for sample-transport couriers each day.
Rather than relying on fixed routes regardless of demand, the system can adjust transport decisions using current information.
What changed after implementation?
The system has operated continuously in three districts in Malawi since August 2019.
Since implementation:
unnecessary courier trips have fallen by 55%;
average sample-transportation delays have been shortened by an estimated 25%.
The practical significance is that fewer courier journeys are made when they are not needed, while samples can move through the diagnostic network more quickly.
Who developed the research?
The webinar was presented by Emma Gibson, a PhD candidate at the MIT Operations Research Centre. Her research covers optimisation, logistics and machine learning, with a focus on applying mathematical models to healthcare delivery in settings with constrained resources.
Before joining MIT, she completed a BSc (Hons) in Mathematical Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand and an MSc in Logistics at Stellenbosch University.
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