Projects
AI4NTD
An international public-private collaboration working together to develop an automated AI-driven tool for the diagnosis and surveillance of neglected tropical diseases, at the first instance for soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis
Latest project updates
AI4NTD, a consortium of nine partners spread over Europe and Africa, is working to develop an automated tool for the diagnosis and surveillance of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Our mission is to develop an innovative and integrated AI-driven digital pathology platform that is affordable, accessible and scalable for low resource settings in order to contribute to the achievement of global control and elimination targets for NTDs. Simultaneous detection of several NTDs is a unique feature of our diagnostic platform, currently under development. It illustrates how applying the most advanced technologies can contribute to reducing the massive toll of NTDs and enable people everywhere to thrive.
9
Partners
7
Countries
>5
Neglected tropical diseases
About AI4NTD
NTDs are a group of parasitic, viral and bacterial diseases that affect more than 1.5 billion people worldwide. Innovative multi-NTD diagnostic approaches are needed to assess the prevalence and intensity of infections in a standardized and timely way. The AI4NTD Consortium aims to introduce artificial intelligence-driven digital pathology (AI-DP) for NTDs in low- and middle-income countries with the ultimate goal of strengthening the existing healthcare system.
AI4NTD is a public-private partnership with representation from academic institutions, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), public organisations, governmental organisations, and pharmaceutical companies. This multidisciplinary partnership is an expansion of the partnership between Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, and Merck, who joined forces to accelerate the development of a diagnostic innovation to support NTD control programmes in Africa. Through collaboration with institutes directly linked to the Ministries of Health in Uganda and Ethiopia, alignment with national health strategies is ensured. The consortium activities are currently supported by the Johnson & Johnson Foundation and Merck and further funding has been applied for.
Lygature's role in AI4NTD
Lygature played an instrumental role in setting up the project and governance structure and drafting the consortium and grant agreements. Lygature supports AI4NTD with over-all program management and will utilize its management capabilities to ensure that the project delivers optimal results. Our key contributions include:
Partnership management. Lygature plays a pivotal role in amalgamating the partnership, creating one coherent research consortium. As an independent enabler, Lygature focuses entirely on making the collaboration work for the benefit of all partners.
Project monitoring. Lygature handles the day-to-day operations of the project, including drafting and assessing project activity reports and structuring actions. Lygature also provides the project with an ICT environment for file sharing and publication management.
Communication and dissemination. Lygature is in charge of developing a communication and dissemination strategy targeting key stakeholder groups. Lygature is also responsible for coordinating the set-up of generic communication tools, including the project visual identity (logo) and website. Lygature will pro-actively work with the communication professionals of consortium partners in order to inform them of project progress, to align communication efforts, and share best practices.
Lygature is proud to act as the independent facilitator of the AI4NTD consortium, adding to our mission of forging partnerships that make an impactful contribution to global health challenges.
Lygature together with
Project updates
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AI4NTD: fighting neglected tropical diseases with Artificial Intelligence diagnostics
AI4NTD brings together pharmaceutical companies, African Ministries of Health, academic institutions and public organizations to improve and scale up diagnostic and surveillance capacity for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), specifically soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH) and schistosomiasis.