Microsoft And Novartis Partner To ‘Accelerate Leprosy Detection’
Dailycsr.com – 29 March 2019 – In a partnership, the “Novartis Foundation and Microsoft” have come together for developing a Digital Health tool enabled by AI along with a “Leprosy Intelligent Image Atlas” for detecting leprosy in its early stages.
As per data, more than two hundred thousand people get diagnosed with leprosy on an annual basis. If the disease is not treated then the patients suffer “lifelong disabilities” besides facing social stigmas. Furthermore, the duo will also collaborate with Brazilian “local investigators from Oswaldo Cruz Foundation” on establishing an examination protocol to view “anonymized images collected by Fiocruz”. This process will involve “a high-resolution image and metadata capture protocol” for using “leprosy skin lesion images”.
There are plans of making the “imagery and AI code” public at a later stage which will help in empowering researches on leprosy yielding on better and accelerated outcomes. In the words of the Novartis Foundation’s Head, Dr. Ann Aerts:
“This partnership is expected to demonstrate how digital health technology can have a transformative impact on global health challenges. Together, we aim to accelerate leprosy detection in order to prevent patients from developing nerve damage. Bundling expertise from the health and tech sectors to pioneer innovative digital health solutions such as this one, can make it possible to reimagine the way we fight leprosy. Early detection and prompt treatment of patients remains the best way to interrupt leprosy transmission. Together with Microsoft we are pioneering an innovative digital tool to accelerate leprosy detection, to make this ancient disease history once and for all.”
The first version of the “image atlas” could be published by the middle of 2019.
References:
3blmedia.com
As per data, more than two hundred thousand people get diagnosed with leprosy on an annual basis. If the disease is not treated then the patients suffer “lifelong disabilities” besides facing social stigmas. Furthermore, the duo will also collaborate with Brazilian “local investigators from Oswaldo Cruz Foundation” on establishing an examination protocol to view “anonymized images collected by Fiocruz”. This process will involve “a high-resolution image and metadata capture protocol” for using “leprosy skin lesion images”.
There are plans of making the “imagery and AI code” public at a later stage which will help in empowering researches on leprosy yielding on better and accelerated outcomes. In the words of the Novartis Foundation’s Head, Dr. Ann Aerts:
“This partnership is expected to demonstrate how digital health technology can have a transformative impact on global health challenges. Together, we aim to accelerate leprosy detection in order to prevent patients from developing nerve damage. Bundling expertise from the health and tech sectors to pioneer innovative digital health solutions such as this one, can make it possible to reimagine the way we fight leprosy. Early detection and prompt treatment of patients remains the best way to interrupt leprosy transmission. Together with Microsoft we are pioneering an innovative digital tool to accelerate leprosy detection, to make this ancient disease history once and for all.”
The first version of the “image atlas” could be published by the middle of 2019.
References:
3blmedia.com
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