ABXGuard

PATH

ABXGuard

AI-driven platform connecting communities, pharmacies, and public systems to ensure access to quality antibiotics and to detect falsified drugs.

Delhi, India

IND

Nonprofit

Substandard and Falsified (SF) antibiotics represent a major public health challenge in LMICs, particularly in India. According to the WHO, nearly 10% of medical products in LMICs are substandard or falsified, with antibiotics among the most affected. In India, counterfeit medicines account for an estimated 5% of all pharmaceuticals, and up to 20% of the USD 4.3 billion domestic antibiotic market is suspected to be compromised. The issue is compounded by inadequate stock management and limited access, particularly in remote and underserved regions. WHO estimates that 68% of Indians lack access to essential medicines, while 70% of out-of-pocket health expenditure is directed toward purchasing medicines (NSSO 75th & 79th rounds). Inefficient inventory systems and inconsistent availability in the public sector often force communities to turn to unregulated private markets, increasing the risk of exposure to SF medicines. In geographies such as Jammu & Kashmir, the situation is further exacerbated by fragile supply chains, difficult terrain, and reliance on informal vendors where an estimated 80% of antibiotics are sold without prescriptions. Weak surveillance systems and fragmented regulatory frameworks continue to allow these risks to persist unchecked.

ABXGuard is an AI-powered digital platform that creates a resilient, connected ecosystem to ensure access to quality-assured antibiotics in underserved regions. By integrating real-time data from public health supply chains, private pharmacies, and community networks, ABXGuard detects substandard and falsified medicines and enables rapid corrective action. The platform’s core components include: 1. An AI-Enabled Stock and Quality Control System: A web and mobile-based LMIS using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies to digitize the antibiotic supply chain. It ensures GMP-compliant procurement, quality testing, real-time stock visibility, predictive forecasting, and traceability to detect stock-outs, overstocking, and consumption anomalies. 2. A Community-Based Surveillance (CBS) & Awareness App: A multilingual, AI-powered mobile app that enables communities to report SF antibiotics and disease symptoms, featuring geo-tagging, photo validation, and gamified learning on rational antibiotic use. 3. A Private Pharmacy Engagement Module: Builds pharmacist capacity to identify and report counterfeit drugs via the CBS App or QR codes and strengthens feedback loops with drug regulatory authorities. 4. A Federated AI Dashboard: Consolidates multi-source data to generate real-time alerts, identify SF hotspots and supply risks, and provide actionable insights for policy and decision-makers. ABXGuard Video Demo Link: https://vimeo.com/1080153691/270b89d016

ABXGuard directly serves communities living in underserved, fragile, and mountainous regions of Jammu and Kashmir, India, where healthcare access is constrained, and the threat of substandard antibiotics is acute. It also supports frontline health workers, pharmacists, health facility managers, and regulators, creating a shared vigilance network across public and private sectors. For citizens, ABXGuard offers a free, easy-to-use app to identify and report suspicious antibiotics, empowering them to safeguard their own health. For health workers and facility managers, it delivers real-time alerts on stock risks, preventing stock-outs or expiries. For regulators, it provides actionable, geo-tagged data to target enforcement efforts swiftly and effectively. By linking communities, pharmacies, and supply systems through AI based technology, ABXGuard restores trust in medicines, strengthens antibiotic stewardship, reduces out-of-pocket spending, and builds community resilience against Substandard and falsified antibiotics.