AI-enabled microscope to diagnose malaria in Odisha

In a significant milestone for healthcare in the tribal-dominated Malkangiri district of Odisha, a cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered microscope has been inaugurated at the district headquarters hospital. Prafulla Kumar Nanda, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Malkangiri, stated, “This is the first such AI-enabled microscope in the state and it has been installed in our hospital on a pilot basis. To the best of my knowledge, nowhere in India, such a microscope based on AI has been installed so far.”

Nanda added that the operationalisation is pending. “We are now feeding it with nearly 200 slides of blood tests related to malaria. Once the feeding is complete, we will start its operation. The results of malaria tests will be known within a second with its help. It can diagnose malaria with clinical accuracy. It will easily differentiate the plasmodium genus responsible for malaria.”

With the backing of IIT Bombay, a start-up spearheaded the development and subsequent market launch of this innovation. Malkangiri, situated approximately 600 km from the state capital, grapples with a notable prevalence of malaria cases in southern Odisha.