BATHINDA: AnemiaPhone, a technology developed by Cornell University researchers to accurately, quickly and cheaply assess iron deficiency, has been transferred to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for integration into its programs for anemia, women’s health, and maternal and child health throughout the country.
In a press release on Wednesday Cornell University has stated that AnemiaPhone will enable access to rapid screening and diagnosis of iron deficiency at the point of need. Iron deficiency is the leading cause of anemia, a condition which can cause a range of symptoms, from fatigue and shortness of breath to multi-organ failure and death. Anemia affects 50-70% of pregnant women in India.
The technology, a test strip that can be coupled with small, portable wi-fi or Bluetooth-enabled test strip readers, was developed and tested in the laboratories of Dr Saurabh Mehta, David Erickson and Julia Finkelstein, founding director and co-directors of the Joan Klein Jacobs Center for Precision Nutrition and Health, and was formally transferred recently at no cost to India.
The technology requires a small finger stick, a drop of blood on a test strip similar to a COVID-19 home test, and a few minutes for the reader to assess. Then the information is uploaded to a clinical database via mobile phone, wireless tablet, or computer. Healthcare workers can interpret the test and provide guidance, triage and referral, or intervention on the spot.
Gold standards for biomarker assessments often have lab-intensive methodologies that much of the world cannot access or afford, said Finkelstein, whose lab in India validated the accuracy of the technology. AnemiaPhone can help bridge this gap, allowing iron deficiency to be quickly and cheaply diagnosed at home, in clinic, or during door-to-door healthcare surveys, reducing costs and speeding intervention.
“We’re not trying to replace traditional or reference laboratories, but in places where people don’t have access to laboratory and medical settings, this is a way to decentralize health care and extend the reach of central labs,” said Mehta. “It’s empowering across the whole system, enabling clinicians, community health workers and patients themselves to make real-time decisions and course corrections upon screening and diagnosis.”
AnemiaPhone has the potential to address current challenges in screening and diagnosing iron deficiency anemia within India’s Anemia Mukt Bharat programme, said Dr Bharati Kulkarni, the new Director of the Indian Council of Medical Research - National Institute of Nutrition and former head of ICMR’s Reproductive, Child Health and Nutrition Division.
“If scaled to its full capacity, it could play a pivotal role in India’s health care landscape where anemia remains a significant concern, particularly among women and children, offering new possibilities in combating this recalcitrant public health problem,” Kulkarni said.
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