BackgroundIn India, approximately 1 million community health workers, known as ASHAs, care for 25 million pregnant women and their babies each year.Detecting high-risk conditions in women before complications arise is crucial for averting maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity. In rural India, factors like anaemia, hypertension and gestational diabetes persist as significant risk factors.SMARThealth Pregnancy improves community-based screening and management of anaemia, diabetes and hypertension during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Integrating our large language model (LLM) chatbot into the SMARThealth Pregnancy platform will enable real-time assistance for ASHAs through the provision of guideline-based information.AimsTo collaboratively develop an LLM to help ASHAs deliver guideline-based care for pregnant and postpartum women in rural India.Research MethodologyThis pioneering initiative aims to collaborate with ASHAs to co-create an LLM-based chatbot customised to their needs that will provide c

BackgroundThe burden of chronic kidney disease is growing, with a global prevalence between 11-13%. Whilst data on kidney disease in Fiji is sparse, one retrospective study estimated an incidence of untreated kidney failure between 793 - 938 per million population, with 86.2% mortality at 20 months.Treatment for kidney failure in Fiji includes dialysis and transplantation (overseas), with both incurring an out-of-pocket cost to patients. Chronic kidney disease is the fourth leading cause of death in Fiji, despite dialysis services expanding nationally. At present there is no standardised data collection regarding kidney care, making advocacy for, and planning of, kidney care services difficult.AimTo improve understanding regarding kidney care and the incidence, prevalence and survival of patients treated for kidney failure in Fiji.To generate evidence-based recommendations for kidney failure treatment in Fiji.Research MethodologyThis project will implement a prospective kidney replacement therapy registry in

As we advance towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3 for health through Universal Health Coverage (UHC) reforms in various Indian states, prior experience suggests that health interventions tend to privilege already advantaged populations, creating inequality. There is, therefore, an urgent need to understand the magnitude of inequalities in coverage of UHC at the state level related to age, sex, place of residence, religion, caste status, tribal status, district, as appropriate, and how they have come about using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Aims and Objectives       The project aims to assess the magnitudes of inequalities related to UHC-linked health reform in the Indian state of Kerala and then use participatory, qualitative methods to assess the mechanisms underlying these inequalities. The project will build on a novel and innovative approach undertaken with the World Health Organisation to build capacity in the monitoring of heal

Urban health, with special focus on the health of vulnerable populations, has been underserved in the recent years. People living on the streets and slum dwellers are at the worst risk of contracting infectious diseases and are increasingly prone to non-communicable diseases owing to changing lifestyles.  Vijaywada has 111 slums with 26% of the total population residing in slums, on streets and in other underprivileged settlements in the city. The city has a population of 1.5 million people and is ranked third in the world on population per sq. km., following Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Hyderabad (Pakistan). The total unmet need for family planning is below national average that is 6.1%. One of the major challenges faced by the people living in these slums is poor living conditions. Around 20 slums in Vijayawada are situated on river bends and canals, making these areas very hazardous in terms of sanitation, accessibility to potable water and general living conditions. These slums are densel

Around 150 million people are affected with mental disorders in India. Depression, Anxiety, stress and associated risk of suicide are some of the most common mental disorders. Earlier research has shown that India has high suicide rates with Andhra Pradesh having one of the highest suicide rates in the country at around 37.5/100,000 people. The gaps in seeking adequate healthcare for common mental disorders, which included depression, stress and elevated suicide risk, is around 75-80% in resource-limited settings such as India, as compared to 40-50% in developed countries. There are multiple reasons for this treatment gap, some of which include stigma, lack of trained mental health professionals, limited awareness about mental health etc. These problems are more severe in rural areas. Training mental health professionals in sufficient numbers in these settings are, simply not pragmatic. Hence, it is the need of the hour to develop innovative strategies to increase access to a basic standard of

India is suffering from a double-burden of diet-related ill health. This is due to the joint effects of nutritional deficiencies and the over-supply of adverse dietary components such as harmful fats, salt, added sugars and energy. There has been a significant national effort to address micronutrient deficiency disorders in India with strong evidence of success - since 1990 it is estimated that the burden attributable to these conditions has fallen by almost two thirds although millions continue to be affected every year.  Health problems caused by excess consumption of adverse dietary components has over the same time risen by about 80%. An integrated program that addresses both the under- and over-supply of dietary components is now required to address these issues in parallel. The consequences of malnutrition caused by under-consumption of essential foods in India have fallen over the last decade - stunting among children has declined from 48% to 38% and underweight from 43% to 36% though o