Global digital health company Qure.ai has received an $8 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostics for tuberculosis (TB) and pneumonia. The funding aims to improve early detection of these deadly diseases in under-resourced regions around the world where millions of lives are lost each year due to delayed diagnosis.[healthcaremea+5]
Boosting Lung Health Diagnostics Globally
The substantial grant will support two critical initiatives. First, Qure.ai will develop a comprehensive, open-source multi-modal database focused on lung health diagnostic pathways. This database will include non-identifiable clinical history, medical images like chest X-rays, thoracic ultrasounds, and high-resolution CT scans. It will also incorporate cough and lung sound recordings, along with various laboratory markers. The goal is to provide a rich resource for researchers and innovators globally, allowing them to develop, validate, and refine new AI models for disease prevention and identification.[healthcaremea+4]
Second, the funding directly supports Qure.ai’s development of AI-enabled point-of-care ultrasound algorithms. These algorithms will serve as vital tools for the early detection of both tuberculosis and pneumonia, especially in areas with limited access to advanced medical infrastructure and trained clinicians. These advancements align with World Health Organization (WHO) lung-health diagnostic pathways.
Addressing a Critical Global Health Burden
Tuberculosis and pneumonia remain two of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide, particularly in low-resource settings. Tuberculosis claims approximately 1.23 million lives annually. Pneumonia causes an estimated 2 million deaths each year, with 700,000 of these victims being children under the age of five. Tragically, a child dies from pneumonia every 43 seconds, underscoring the urgent need for improved diagnostics and equitable access to care. Both diseases are curable when detected early, making rapid and accurate diagnosis essential to saving lives and preventing further spread.[healthcaremea+5]
Dr. Shibu Vijayan, Chief Medical Officer for Global Health at Qure.ai, highlighted the impact of this technology. "With the very latest developments in digital health and artificial intelligence, Qure.ai can help reach healthcare's blind spots, bringing high-quality diagnostics within reach of every clinic, health worker, and child, no matter where they live," Dr. Vijayan stated.[healthcaremea+2]
Qure.ai's Proven Track Record and Future Vision
Qure.ai has a decade-long history of deploying AI solutions in challenging environments to address critical health issues. The company has successfully implemented AI-enabled X-ray technology in some of the most remote regions, including parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the heights of Mount Everest, and rural Southeast Asia. These efforts have dramatically reduced TB diagnosis times from an average of 14 days to just 1 to 2 days, often without a clinician present.
The company currently operates in over 105 countries and more than 4,800 sites worldwide. Beyond TB and pneumonia, Qure.ai's AI solutions also assist in identifying lung cancer and neurocritical conditions such as stroke. This extensive experience positions Qure.ai to effectively leverage the new Gates Foundation grant. Prashant Warier, Co-founder and CEO of Qure.ai, emphasized the company's dedication. "This is powerful progress that has reduced diagnosis rates from 14 days to 1-2 days, without even a clinician present," Warier said. "Now, with this grant from the Gates Foundation, we are excited to leverage this expertise further to scale and reach more people."[healthcaremea+8]
Dr. Justy Antony Chiramal, Project Lead and Clinical Director for Global Health Innovation at Qure.ai, noted that the grant builds on years of continuous innovation in public health. He stressed the importance of focusing on children in low- and middle-income countries. "A child dies of pneumonia every 43 seconds, which represents an unacceptable and avoidable loss," Dr. Chiramal explained. The project aims to integrate pneumonia, tuberculosis, and broader lung health priorities to address these disparities.[healthcaremea+7]
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation consistently invests in AI for global health and development, focusing on ensuring these advanced technologies benefit all populations, not just the wealthy. This grant to Qure.ai reflects a broader commitment to locally driven and owned AI solutions that improve the lives of the world's most vulnerable people.[hlth+2]
This partnership between Qure.ai and the Gates Foundation marks a significant step toward making advanced AI diagnostics accessible and impactful in the global fight against preventable diseases.[gatesfoundation]
