Artificial intelligence (AI) will further simplify and streamline healthcare delivery in Bangladesh, particularly in remote areas, through the integration of AI into the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) digital application, said Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Director General Professor Dr Pravath Chandra Biswas on Thursday.
He made the remarks at a kick-off meeting held in Dhaka marking the launch of a project to enhance the IMCI digital platform through artificial intelligence integration, along with the development of a unified dashboard and a multilingual voice assistant tool.
Dr Biswas stated that the existing application has already demonstrated success in diagnosing illnesses and supporting treatment and counselling services for children. He noted that integrating AI will further simplify delivery in remote regions.
The initiative is being implemented by the Management Information System (MIS) of the DGHS, with support from Save the Children Bangladesh and Amazon Web Services (AWS), aiming to strengthen child healthcare through digital transformation.
DGHS Director (MIS) Dr Abu Ahammad Al Mamun highlighted that while Bangladesh has made significant progress in reducing child mortality, preventable diseases such as pneumonia, sepsis, and diarrhoea remain major causes of death among children under five.
Launched in 2022, the IMCI digital application is currently used across government health facilities, helping healthcare workers with diagnosis, treatment, counselling, and referral services at the field level.
Under this new initiative, the application will be upgraded to improve disease surveillance, data analysis, and decision-making. The addition of a unified dashboard and multilingual voice assistant is expected to enhance usability for frontline workers.
Save the Children Bangladesh Country Director Shumon Sengupta said the voice assistant tool would allow healthcare providers to ensure faster and more accurate diagnosis through the application,.
The Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI), developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, is a comprehensive approach designed to reduce morbidity, mortality, and disability among children under five.
Officials expect the initiative to accelerate the digital transformation of the health sector and strengthen the capacity of frontline health workers.
