Health Ministry inks pact with research institute to explore AI technology in combating TB

Union health ministry's central tuberculosis division has inked a pact with a research institute to explore cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology in combatting the disease.

The pact was signed by the joint secretary in the health ministry, Vikas Sheel, and Dr P Anandan, CEO of Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence.

As part of the collaboration, Wadhwani AI would support the national tuberculosis programme become Artificial Intelligence (AI) ready and will include developing, piloting, and deploying technology based solutions, an official statement said.

Wadhwani AI would also support the programme in vulnerability and hot-spot mapping, modelling novel methods of screening and diagnostics and enabling decision support for care-givers apart from supporting the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) in adopting other AI technologies.

AI provides a unique opportunity for the health sector, bringing efficiency, saving resources and bringing accuracy in interpretation and enhancing quality of service delivery, the statement said.

Its use in this sector has an ample scope to improve outcomes, especially in situations where resources are limited, it said.

India is committed to ending TB by 2025, five years ahead of the Global Sustainable Development (SDG) targets, the statement added.