South Africa advances AI-powered treatment supporter for people with TB
As part of KNCV's Digital Health Solutions team's ongoing commitment to strengthen country-led and community-based health strategies, The Aurum Institute, our implementing partner in South Africa has taken significant steps to advance the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to support people with tuberculosis (TB).
In 2024, KNCV TB Plus initiated the in-house development of a virtual TB treatment supporter for people on BPaL (Bedaquiline, Pretomanid and Linezolid) treatment, accessible via WhatsApp. This AI-powered digital treatment supporter is interactive, multi-language, and educated on TB treatment, common challenges, and overall health concerns. Today, this supporter has a name: Aida.
By implementing Aida in South Africa, the Aurum Institute is supporting people with TB to access timely, reliable, and user-friendly information to better manage their health and their treatment journey.
Aida, is being implemented in close collaboration with national interest-holders, including frontline health providers, ensuring that the technology is integrated into existing systems in a way that reflects the needs and priorities of the people it serves and that aligns seamlessly in daily practice.
A kick-off element of this work includes training and capacity building. Over the past quarter, the Aurum Insitute organized two regional trainings: one in Rustemburg and another in Ekurhuleni.
Aida training in Rustenburg
On July 25, the Aurum Institute brought together twenty-eight research assistants, four coordinators and two doctors; and included a pre-test on TB knowledge, and training on TB transmission, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, TB/HIV and research.
Besides basic education on TB, the team dived into research ethics and Good Clinical Practice Guidelines, especially relevant when conducting research with AI and aligning with national strategies.
Aida training in Ekurhuleni
This session was conducted on September 12 and brought together four research staff who will be traveling across 7 sites in Ekurhuleni.
This session included ethical considerations for Aida and user consent, protocol training, the intervention itself and its practical considerations. Discussions with the training participants allowed the identification of contextual nuances and the necessary steps to implement this tool and support people with TB effectively.
By blending technological innovation with community ownership and clinical best practice, Aida's objective to supporting people on TB treatment is turning a more responsive health system. In South Africa, Aida is now available in four different languages, English, Xhosa, IsiZulu and Tswana, demonstrating the importance of cultural and context appropriateness when integrating digital health solutions into the TB care cascade.
This milestone underscores a vision of our Digital Health Solutions team: ensuring that digital innovations not only expand access to care but also empower people with TB to live and lead healthier lives.