Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: About 100 Accredited Social Health Activists met in Silchar to build a new AI-enabled tool. They want better tech for cervical cancer screening. The workshop, led by The George Institute for Global Health India and Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, brought together doctors, researchers, and field staff. It aims to bridge the gap between clinical data and real-world concerns.
The team sorted through 155 common questions about the disease. Using a bindi-based voting system, they picked the queries they hear most often from rural families. Experts will now bake these answers into a multilingual voice chatbot. They plan to support Bangla and use simple, conversational language. Younger workers adapt quickly to phones, but older staff need more help. Training tools will include quizzes, audio-visual lessons, and search functions.
Anita Gadgil, the project’s principal investigator, said, "This workshop starts with a simple principle: technology for ASHAs should be designed with ASHAs." She believes their field experience must define how the AI functions. This project is a three-year pilot funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research. It runs from November 2025 until November 2028.
Developers will eventually roll out the tool to 110 workers across 20 clusters. They will run a randomized controlled trial to measure success. The chatbot will offer real-time support during home visits, but it stays secondary to clinical care. It will not replace professional diagnosis. Instead, it strengthens the reach of existing health networks.
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