VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh is set to leverage AI to improve neonatal healthcare, with the State government launching a pilot project to automatically assess and record health indicators of newborn babies through smartphone-based video technology.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav announced that AI-powered newborn health monitoring services will be integrated into the mobile application used by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs).
The technology will enable automatic recording of critical health parameters such as weight, height, head circumference, chest circumference and arm measurements without physically touching the infant.
The initiative is being implemented in partnership with Wadhwani AI, which has developed the ‘Shishu Maapan’ application. Under an agreement with the Health Department, the application will be integrated with the existing ASHA mobile platform.
As part of the project, health officials will create an AI database using videos and measurements of 1,000 newborns. Data collection will be carried out in areas covered by Indiranagar, Koppurao Colony, Kaza and Yerrabalem UHCs, as well as the Pedavadlapudi PHC in Mangalagiri constituency.
The Minister said training programmes for ASHA workers and ANMs have commenced in phases to prepare them for implementation of the project. Depending on the outcomes of the pilot initiative, the AI-based monitoring system will be expanded across the State.
As per Satya Kumar, the technology is expected to reduce the workload on frontline workers while improving the quality and reliability of newborn healthcare services. ASHA workers must visit newborns at their homes six times within the first 42 days after birth to record health parameters.
Currently, healthcare workers carry weighing scales, infantometers and measuring tapes to collect data. The process often takes between 10 and 15 minutes per household and can be difficult when infants are restless or uncooperative.
Using a smartphone, ‘Shishu Maapan’ can estimate a newborn’s weight and body measurements through video analysis without requiring physical contact. Once the mobile is positioned near the baby, it automatically records the data.