AICA

CanceRX Foundation

Leprosy is one of the oldest diseases known to man. Despite advances in all spheres of medical science, leprosy continues to be a public health challenge in countries like India.  A rare and neglected tropical disease, there are approximately 12-13 million new cases reported annually in India, constituting 58.8% of the worldwide diagnosed leprosy cases.

Knowledge of disease management is poor among both patients and their families. Patients are often outcast and shunned by their families. Upon diagnosis, there is disbelief, followed by numerous questions, yet there is a lack of validated information that can assist both patients and caregivers.

As a digital care assistant leveraging AI and small language models to create awareness about leprosy and its management, we address several critical issues. These include the lack of access to validated information, awareness of what to expect post-diagnosis, symptoms to watch for to prevent total disability, promoting adherence to treatment, and facilitating care coordination for patients who are stigmatized  and shunned after diagnosis.

Our solution serves leprosy patients and their families. Lack of awareness about preventive doses among contacts leads to new cases being reported each year. Additionally, insufficient knowledge about complications, lepra reactions, and neuritis results in permanent disabilities that are preventable with early action. India also has the highest relapse rate, indicating the need to spread awareness about disease management, follow-ups post-treatment, and the importance of educating contacts with early exposure.

We address these issues by providing patients and families with easy access to information, creating awareness to aid in treatment management, preventing complications, and reducing the risk of disability and relapse post initial treatment.

We have got the basic solution ready but it needs testing, and clinical validation before it can be launched fully and hence the choice of prototype stage.

As a vernacular solution, we use NLP to communicate with users over existing communication channels such as whatsapp and voice. We have an easy to use frontend as a QR code with deep tech driving the backend. Our USP is Easy usability as a solution on the go, which is not daunting and complex to use. A QR scan and data from the backend or a few quick questions and we are ready to roll. Technology also brings intelligence to be a true companion and scalability. As a solution we are also easy to distribute. The QR code  can be scanned anywhere, a doctors clinic, community outreach centers,  NGO's , religious places, where most leprosy patients are found. Easy usability, distribution and easy access and help with care coordination is what sets us apart and will change the landscape for the stigmatised community.

We will be using the proceeds for further development of the solution, a small language model to help patients and caregivers alongside the care providers. We will be using the prize money  rolling out the solution amongst the  12- 13 million strong patient community that is shunned and stigmatised. Post  clinical validation we will be publishing a research paper

We are in conversation with a foundation in India that works on leprosy and will be deploying the solution via them and the state govt. The design and development has been guided by conversations with the non profit and a state owned hospital and its doctors.