AI4GH synergy grant: Data, digital health and AI to combat TB in Indonesia, Peru and the Philippines

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to pose a major global health challenge, with the highest incidence rates concentrated in low- and middle-income countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Peru. Although diagnostic tools are available, TB control efforts remain inadequate, especially in underserved communities. This proposal supports South-South partnerships and advances the use of responsible AI solutions already in use in three different settings across Peru, Indonesia and the Philippines.

It aims to enhance TB control and management in low- and middle-income countries by leveraging responsible AI technologies to expand access to care, particularly among the rural and urban poor, including people affected by mental health challenges. By leveraging proven processes, lessons and local datasets in all three countries, the project will evaluate the feasibility of an integrated system for TB screening, case management and follow-up. Successfully harmonizing TB strategies could serve as a prototype for broader infectious disease surveillance in other resource-constrained contexts.

This project is part of the Artificial Intelligence for Development program, a partnership between IDRC and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It aims to support policy, innovations and expanded leadership that spur safe and responsible AI in Africa. The vision is to support an inclusive, responsible AI ecosystem that improves quality of life in Africa and beyond.