National Health Authority and IIT Kanpur sign MoU for development of digital public goods for AI in Healthcare

The National Health Authority (NHA) and IIT Kanpur signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Union Health Secretary Mr. Apurva Chandra. The MoU, signed by the Additional Secretary at the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare & CEO of NHA, Ms. L. S. Changsan, and Director of IIT Kanpur, Mr. Manindra Agrawal, aims to develop several key components under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). These include a federated learning platform for various machine learning model pipelines, a quality-preserving database, an open benchmarking platform for AI model validation, and a consent management system for research purposes. IIT Kanpur will develop these systems, which NHA will manage and operate to harness AI for enhanced health outcomes.

Union Health Secretary Mr. Apurva Chandra praised the MoU, stating it would provide a public benchmarking platform for AI models and address critical issues such as the availability and efficacy of disease diagnosis data. He highlighted the partnership’s potential to improve clinical outcomes through reliable data. Ms. L. S. Changsan noted that the collaboration would advance AI in healthcare by providing researchers with high-quality data and a platform for interaction while ensuring data privacy. She emphasized that this MoU would set a benchmark for digital public health initiatives in India. Mr. Manindra Agrawal expressed that the partnership aims to democratize access to quality healthcare and empower stakeholders through AI advancements. The platform will offer benefits such as trustworthy AI models, improved data access, and statistical quality preservation for health data.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.