Trending
The Sindh Health Department, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and Aga Khan University (AKU) have signed a three-year Letter of Collaboration to integrate a national artificial intelligence hub into Sindh’s public healthcare system.
The initiative will focus on maternal, newborn and child health and bring AI-supported tools to primary healthcare facilities.
The project has support from the Gates Foundation, which is providing a multi-year grant for the National AI Hub.
The agreement was signed at the office of Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho.
Health Secretary Tahir Hussain, LUMS Associate Professor Dr Maryam Mustafa and AKU Medical College Dean Dr Karim Damji signed the agreement.
Dr Anita Zaidi, President of Gender Equality at the Gates Foundation, attended the ceremony.
AKU Associate Professor Dr Zahra Hoodbhoy, who works on point-of-care ultrasound AI models, also attended the signing.
The three institutions will jointly develop and deploy risk-stratification models, clinical decision-support systems and voice-assisted tools.
These technologies will support frontline healthcare workers providing maternal and child health services.
Dr Azra Pechuho said the initiative would focus on primary healthcare facilities.
CAP Calls for Nationwide Inspection of Medical Stores
She said the project should help improve health outcomes for mothers and children.
“I would like to see healthier babies, and prematurity rates go down,” she said.
The minister also said AI could help identify congenital problems and improve paramedical services.
The partnership brings together computer scientists, human-centred design experts and clinical epidemiologists.
AKU’s Dr Fyezah Jehan, Chair of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, will lead the Hub’s clinical research.
Her work includes clinical trial networks, maternal and newborn cohort datasets and field-based epidemiological research.
This research will provide clinical validation for the AI models.
It will also help ensure that the systems reflect healthcare conditions in low-resource settings.
Dr Karim Damji said the partnership would combine academic expertise with practical healthcare needs.
He said AI could help improve the safety and efficiency of maternal and child healthcare.
“We have brilliant faculty and that’s the magic,” Damji said.
He added that the goal was to identify ways to provide safer deliveries and better care for mothers and children.
The Hub will also build on Awaaz-e-Sehat, a voice-enabled electronic record management platform developed by Dr Maryam Mustafa’s team at LUMS.
The platform was initially supported through a Grand Challenges grant.
Its technology uses localised speech recognition and natural-language systems designed for low-literacy environments.
The approach allows frontline health workers to interact with digital tools in their own languages.
Dr Mustafa said Pakistan faces significant challenges in adopting AI for healthcare.
“One of the things that worries me the most as a computer scientist working in AI and health is that Pakistan is far, far behind other countries when it comes to adopting AI tools,” she said.
She said the bigger challenge was not developing the technology but integrating it into existing systems.
She also stressed the need for government support to scale AI tools across the health system.
Under the agreement, each institution will have a specific role.
The Sindh Health Department will provide strategic oversight and support integration into provincial healthcare facilities.
It will also ensure alignment with national health policies and oversee public-sector deployment.
LUMS will serve as the technical partner.
Its responsibilities will include AI model development, algorithm validation, speech technologies and technical safeguards.
AKU will act as the clinical, research and implementation partner.
It will guide clinical safety, real-world trials and the use of AI tools in primary healthcare facilities.
The partners said the collaboration will follow national regulatory requirements, data privacy rules and ethical safeguards.
The AI systems will assist healthcare workers rather than replace clinical judgement.
The initiative aims to connect clinical research with practical technology and public-sector healthcare delivery.
The partners said the long-term goal is to make AI-supported maternal and child healthcare accessible at primary facilities, including underserved and remote areas.
[…] Sindh, LUMS and AKU Launch AI Hub for Maternal Health […]