Cornell University’s cutting-edge technology, AnemiaPhone, has been transferred to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to bolster India’s efforts against anaemia, particularly through the Anaemia Mukt Bharat programme. This innovative tool enables rapid, affordable, and accurate screening for iron deficiency, one of the leading causes of anaemia, at the point of need.
AnemiaPhone uses a small finger-stick blood sample applied to a test strip. The result is processed via a portable, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth-enabled reader, with data uploaded to a clinical database in real time. Healthcare workers can provide immediate guidance, triage, and interventions even in resource-limited settings.
This breakthrough addresses a critical healthcare challenge in India, where anaemia affects 50%-70% of pregnant women and remains a significant concern for women and children. “We are 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 decentralise healthcare and extend the reach of central labs,” said Dr. Saurabh Mehta, one of the developers.
ICMR’s National Institute of Nutrition Director, Bharati Kulkarni, emphasized the technology’s transformative potential: if scaled, it could play a pivotal role in improving maternal and child health outcomes nationwide.
This groundbreaking tool, developed in collaboration with researchers Saurabh Mehta, David Erickson, and Julia Finkelstein, was formally transferred to ICMR on November 7, 2024, and is set to redefine healthcare accessibility in India.
