The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru has opened a new centre to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) for better healthcare across India. This new centre is called the Translational AI for Networked Universal Healthcare (TANUH) Foundation . It will focus on creating smart AI tools to fight common diseases.
The establishment of TANUH is part of a big plan by the Government of India . The government wants to 'Make AI in India and Make AI Work for India'. To achieve this, the Ministry of Education has set up four special Centres of Excellence in AI (AI-CoEs) at top colleges in India. TANUH is one of these four centres, specifically working on healthcare solutions.
What is TANUH and What Does It Do?
TANUH is a special company that works for the public good, not for profit. It is a 'Section 8' company. Its main aim is to develop and use AI solutions that can be scaled up easily. This means the AI tools can be used by many people across the country. TANUH focuses on managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) effectively.
Non-communicable diseases are health problems that do not spread from person to person. Examples include heart disease, diabetes, and different types of cancer. These diseases are a major challenge for public health in India.
Focus Areas and Goals
The centre aims to design and use tools that help with several important steps in healthcare:
- Early Detection: Finding diseases at an early stage when they are easier to treat.
- Risk Prediction: Identifying people who might be at high risk of getting a certain disease.
- Monitoring: Keeping a close watch on a patient's health over time.
- Personalised Solutions: Creating treatment plans that are specific to each patient's needs.
TANUH will work on these solutions for diseases that affect many people in India. Here are some of the key diseases it targets:
| Disease Area | Focus |
| Oral Cancer | Early detection and management |
| Breast Cancer | Early detection and management |
| Retinal Diseases (Eye) | Diagnosis and monitoring |
| Diabetes | Risk prediction and personalized care |
| Mental Health | Support and early intervention |
How TANUH Plans to Improve Healthcare
The AI tools created by TANUH will help various parts of the healthcare system. These tools are designed to be used directly where patients receive care, such as in local clinics, primary health centres, and hospitals. The goal is to make healthcare safer and more effective.
- Helping Frontline Health Workers: The AI tools can support health workers, especially in rural areas, by providing quick insights and guidance.
- Improving Primary and Hospital Care: AI can help doctors and nurses make better decisions and manage patient care more efficiently.
- Supporting Human Decisions: The AI tools are built to assist human doctors and not replace them. This ensures that expert human judgement is always part of the care process.
The Team Behind TANUH
TANUH works as a team hub. It brings together different experts who work on the same goal. The team includes:
- Clinicians: Doctors and healthcare professionals who understand patient needs and diseases.
- Data Scientists: Experts who work with large amounts of health data.
- AI Researchers: Scientists who develop new AI technologies.
Nine faculty members from IISc are part of this centre. They specialize in areas like digital health, machine learning (a type of AI), and public health. The core team also has people with good experience from industries. This helps them turn AI health technologies from lab ideas into tools that can be used by many people.
Ensuring Safety and Effectiveness
The solutions developed by TANUH follow strict rules for responsible AI. This means the AI tools are fair, transparent, and protect patient information. These tools are also created and tested together with doctors and researchers from top national hospitals, such as AIIMS, New Delhi . This ensures that the tools are reliable and safe for patients.
Prof G Rangarajan , who is the Director of IISc and the Chair of the Board of Directors for TANUH, spoke about the centre. He said, “We are happy to start TANUH, an AI Centre of Excellence in Healthcare. This centre will provide AI solutions for non-communicable diseases like oral and breast cancer. We already have an award-winning app called Aarogya Aarohan as an example of our work. TANUH matches the government’s vision to use AI for India and aims to make healthcare available to everyone in the country.”
This new centre at IISc is an important step towards using advanced technology to solve some of India's biggest health challenges, making healthcare more accessible and effective for all citizens.
