Artificial intelligence is emerging as a powerful tool to strengthen global health systems, particularly in the early diagnosis of preventable infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) and pneumonia. Advancing this mission, global digital health innovator Qure.ai has received a multimillion-dollar grant from the Gates Foundation to accelerate equitable access to high-quality diagnostics for underserved populations.
Grant to Advance Open-Source, Multi-Modal Health Data
With this funding, Qure.ai will develop a large, open-source, multi-modal database designed to support next-generation disease prevention and diagnostic innovation. The initiative will align with WHO lung health diagnostic pathways and integrate non-identifiable clinical data, including patient history, medical imaging such as chest X-rays, thoracic ultrasound, and high-resolution CT scans, as well as cough and lung sound recordings and laboratory or biological markers.
By making this data accessible, the platform will enable researchers and innovators worldwide to develop, validate, and refine AI models that improve early detection and disease management for the public good.
Strengthening Early Detection of TB and Pneumonia
In parallel, the grant will support the development of AI-enabled point-of-care ultrasound algorithms as a diagnostic tool for early detection of TB and pneumonia. These two diseases remain among the world’s deadliest infectious conditions, particularly in under-resourced regions.
Although both TB and pneumonia are curable when diagnosed early, TB causes approximately 1.23 million deaths annually, while pneumonia claims around 2 million lives each year, including 700,000 children under the age of five. Early and accurate diagnosis remains a critical barrier to reducing this preventable mortality.
Building on a Decade of Global AI Deployment
Reflecting on Qure.ai’s journey, Prashant Warier, Co-founder and CEO of Qure.ai, highlighted the organisation’s decade-long commitment to reaching the most remote populations. Over the past ten years, the company has deployed AI-enabled X-ray solutions across sub-Saharan Africa, rural Southeast Asia, and even extreme environments such as the heights of Everest.
As per the Qure.ai press release, these innovations have dramatically reduced TB diagnosis timelines from 14 days to just 1–2 days, often without the need for an on-site clinician. With the Gates Foundation’s support, Qure.ai now aims to scale these solutions further and reach millions more who lack access to timely diagnostics.
Closing Healthcare’s Diagnostic Gaps with AI
Emphasising the broader impact, Dr Shibu Vijayan, Chief Medical Officer – Global Health at Qure.ai, noted that advances in digital health and artificial intelligence can help close critical diagnostic gaps. By bringing high-quality imaging and decision support tools closer to frontline health workers, AI can ensure that every clinic, caregiver, and child—regardless of geography—has access to reliable diagnostics.
A Child-Centric Focus on Equitable Lung Health
Further underlining the urgency, Dr Justy Antony Chiramal, Project Lead and Clinical Director, Global Health Innovation at Qure.ai, stressed that the grant builds on years of public health innovation. The initiative brings together pneumonia, tuberculosis, and broader lung health priorities, with a strong focus on children in low- and middle-income countries.
He highlighted that a child dies of pneumonia every 43 seconds, calling it an unacceptable and avoidable loss. This stark reality reinforces the need for better diagnostics and more equitable access to care across vulnerable populations.
A Global Leader in AI-Powered Diagnostics
Today, Qure.ai operates across 105+ countries and 4,800+ sites worldwide, supporting the identification and management of TB, lung cancer, and neurocritical conditions such as stroke. Through this new collaboration with the Gates Foundation, the company aims to further redefine how AI can drive early diagnosis, improve outcomes, and advance global health equity.