ITAMA_CAP : Free Test for Coeliac Disease for children aged 3 – 18 years old

The ITAMA_CAP project is a continuation of the ITAMA project, which was also funded under the Interreg Italia-Malta programme.

ITAMA was implemented via cross collaboration of Medical and ICT teams in Sicily and Malta. The project ran a screening of more than 20,000 children of paediatric age [3-11] to determine if they are suffering from coeliac conditions using non-invasive techniques. The objectives of this ITAMA were met and are as follows:

to raise awareness about coeliac diseases
the results from the non-invasive simple prick tests using PoCT [Point of Care Testing] have validate the accuracy of the technique used
technology transfer and/or process innovation in the healthcare sector

An unforeseen issue while ITAMA was underway was the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it more difficult than expected to make contact with all the children and parents about the testing and then approving to send their children to school. As a result some parents and children who might have been interested during ITAMA chose not to participate or missed the opportunity.

ITAMA_CAP as ITAMA’s successor sought to apply the activities done in ITAMA with students between the ages of 12-18 instead.

These parents have reached out through ITAMA social media channels and expressed interest in registering their children for the test during ITAMA_CAP, and the registration for the test is now open to all students in Malta aged 3-18.