Tanzania’s MUHAS Launches Afya AI at Sabasaba to Combat Hypertension and Diabetes

By Adonis Byemelwa

Attendees of the 48th International Trade Fair at Sabasaba Grounds are in for an extraordinary experience this year. The Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) is set to unveil Afya AI, a revolutionary digital artificial intelligence companion poised to transform healthcare in Tanzania.

 This groundbreaking innovation promises to redefine how Tanzanians manage and monitor common diseases like hypertension and diabetes, setting a new standard for health services in the country.

This innovative tool promises to revolutionize the way Tanzanians manage common diseases like hypertension and diabetes.

MUHAS’s presentation highlighted Afya AI’s potential to address significant health challenges. The AI-driven tool offers an interactive platform where users can diagnose and self-assess conditions with ease.

 By simply typing questions, users receive instant, interactive responses in both voice and text formats, making health information more accessible and user-friendly than ever before.

The university also introduced Akili AI, a specialized program designed to identify, analyze, and assess hypertension and diabetes.

 This initiative targets over 8 million Tanzanians, providing a reliable and efficient means of managing these conditions. Presenters at the exhibition emphasized a critical health trend: many Tanzanians delay hospital visits until illnesses become severe.

Early symptoms often lead to ineffective self-diagnosis through internet searches or advice from friends, resulting in inadequate treatment.

Health statistics reveal an 8.1% increase in hypertension and diabetes cases, largely due to unhealthy diets, lack of exercise, and insufficient health precautions.

Akili AI aims to combat this trend by offering a seamless interface for users to interact with the AI, providing crucial health guidance.

 One standout feature is its ability to set timers and reminders for medication, ensuring patients adhere to their treatment schedules and remember when to refill prescriptions.

"The AI offers more than just health advice," stated a MUHAS representative. "It sends text message reminders about when to take medicines, tailored to assist patients with chronic conditions in maintaining their medication regimens, whether it’s every 8 hours, 6 hours, or 12 hours."

The launch of Afya AI and Akili AI at the Trade Fair marks a significant leap forward in integrating technology into healthcare in Tanzania. By making advanced health tools available to the public, MUHAS is setting a new standard for health services and showcasing the potential of AI to enhance healthcare delivery. This initiative not only aims to improve health outcomes but also to foster a culture of proactive health management among Tanzanians.

This comprehensive effort underscores the need to reassess health policies and metrics, ensuring they genuinely benefit those they are intended to help.

 By addressing these issues head-on, Tanzania is taking significant strides toward improving maternal and child health, setting a strong example for other nations facing similar challenges.

However, it is crucial to balance the drive for higher institutional delivery rates with the provision of high-quality care that respects women's choices and needs. In doing so, countries can create a more holistic approach to maternal health that truly enhances outcomes and supports the well-being of mothers and their children.

Ultimately, the experiences from low-resource settings highlight the complexities of improving maternal health.

While increasing institutional deliveries can be an important step, it must be accompanied by efforts to ensure quality care and address the broader social determinants of health. Only then can the global community make meaningful progress toward reducing maternal mortality and achieving sustainable health improvements.