Health ministry to explore use of Artificial Intelligence for TB diagnosis

The Union health ministry is exploring the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in its fight against tuberculosis. India is among the countries with the highest number of TB patients, and is chasing the target of eliminating the disease by 2025--five years ahead of the global target. The Central TB Division of the health ministry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Mumbai-based Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence to explore the application of AI in dealing with the disease. According to a statement on the collaboration, the institute would be supporting the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) to become'AI-ready', which would include "developing, piloting, and deploying AI-based solutions". "It would 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 RNTCP in adoption of other AI technologies," the statement said.