Worldwide, 800 women die every day from pregnancy- and childbirth-related causes.according to United Nations70% of which death toll They occur in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, approximately 5 million children die before the age of five, and another 2 million infants die before or during birth.
This new portable ultrasound device makes it possible to obtain ultrasound images in a practical and low-cost way.This is an instrument weighing only 300 grams and combines artificial intelligence With chips, probes and smartphones, it could revolutionize if it becomes easier to use healthy.
It was launched in Argentina in 2020, but its use has not expanded in the country and other parts of the world because it is costly, remains difficult to obtain, and therefore unpopular.However, they are much cheaper than the ultrasound machines used in hospitals and as a scientific advance could mean huge benefits as it could control high-risk patients in low-resource settings and prevent die Millions of babies and mothers.
The latest annual Gatekeepers 2023 report released by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Tuesday concluded that “new innovations could save an additional 2 million lives by 2030 by making new innovations available to those who need them most.” lives, and 6.4 million lives could be saved by 2030.” Now and 2040?This advance can significantly reduce death toll Global maternal and infant mortality, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Photo: Philips.
On the other hand, Quique Bassat, an ICREA researcher at ISGlobal and one of the initiators of the first Global Forum on Child Pneumonia in Barcelona in January, is also interested in portable ultrasound machines. artificial intelligence. The aim, experts say, is to prove they are reliable and easy to use by health agents other than doctors.
Likewise, UNICEF is working to develop rapid diagnostic tests to differentiate between bacteria, viral infections (including respiratory syncytial virus) and malaria. Pneumonia expert Anne Detjen said the entity was assessing ” artificial intelligence and machine learning diagnostics, for example, based on lung sounds and cough sounds. “