AI4D-FCDO-PHC Global: Scaling responsive and responsible artificial intelligence for improving sexual, reproductive and maternal health in South Asia

 

IDRC is embarking on a five-year partnership (Artificial Intelligence for Development: Responsible AI, Empowering People) with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, also known as AI4D-FCDO, to support policy, innovations and expanded leadership to spur safe and responsible artificial intelligence (AI) development in Africa and beyond. The vision of the program is to support an inclusive and responsible AI ecosystem that improves the quality of life for all in low- and middle-income countries.

This project, which is part of AI4D-FCDO, will ensure that sexual, reproductive and maternal health (SRMH) hubs around the world graduate from proof-of-concept to testing and scaling. In South Asia, the AI Sarosh hub has awarded nine grants in Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The grants cover areas such as adolescent health, developing affordable colposcopy imaging and digital microscopes, early detection of postnatal depression, risk management for pregnant mothers, AI-enhanced fetal ultrasound services, AI-enabled detection of perinatal depression and early diagnosis of gestational diabetes. The monitoring of these projects has allowed AI Sarosh to identify gaps in policy and regulatory frameworks, implementation challenges, and a lack of an evidence base on the responsible use of AI in health in the region.

Through this project, AI Sarosh aims to: generate evidence by supporting field evaluations of the solutions currently in development in real-life settings that can inform scaling; improve understanding of SMRH issues and the potential of AI applications in SRMH through gap analysis; develop strategies to inform policy and regulatory decision-makers and relevant stakeholders; and provide a platform for the sub-grantees to interface with other health and AI experts.