At the heart of AI lie two transformational abilities: the power to learn from data and the capacity to make predictions based on patterns within that data. This predictive potential of AI can even extend into new, challenging environments – a reality now playing out in Mizoram, a remote, mountainous state in northeast India. Famous for its steep terrain, dense urban living and bamboo jungles, Mizoram may not seem like the typical setting for cutting-edge AI applications. Yet, here, AI is helping combat one of the state’s most significant health threats: tuberculosis (TB).
However, despite these distressing statistics, Mizoram holds a unique potential to become TB-free. Most of its population resides in just two or three high-density districts, making it feasible to target and eliminate TB hotspots effectively. Recognizing this opportunity, the National Health Mission, in collaboration with EPCON, Wadhwani AI, WHO India, USAID, and other health-focused NGOs, has launched an ambitious, AI-powered initiative to end TB in Mizoram.
Great strides with Wadhwani AI
Our partnership with Wadhwani AI, an independent non-profit developing AI-based solutions for underserved communities, has been pivotal in the journey. Together, our goals are clear:
Deploy the AI platform to identify at-risk communities for TB, specifically densely populated regions, such as Aizawl and Lunglei
Monitor and visualise program progress in real time
Guide active case-finding (ACF) teams to high-impact locations
Identify underlying health system gaps
Develop models to identify presumptive TB cases (suspected TB) and assess overall TB risk
AI in action: the power of the cough app
To help predict potential hotspots, our Epi-control platform deploys several advanced screening tools, such as Wadhwani’s Cough AI application, which detects TB through cough sound analysis. By gathering anonymized location-based results, the app allows us to aggregate and visualise TB data at one of the highest levels of granularity—essential in the mountainous and geographically complex regions of Mizoram.
Our platform also incorporates vulnerability mapping data. This provided a more nuanced understanding of the population vulnerability, which has a strong bearing on TB risk.
To conclude, we are thrilled to be involved in Mizoram’s journey towards becoming TB-free. This initiative is proof of the transformative power of technology and collaboration in public health in even the most challenging landscapes.