Accessible, affordable technology to detect anaemia transferred to ICMR

AnemiaPhone by Cornell University offers rapid, affordable iron deficiency diagnosis, aiding India's healthcare system in addressing anemia effectively.

AnemiaPhone, a technology developed by Cornell University researchers to accurately, quickly, and cheaply, assess iron deficiency, has been transferred to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for integration into its programmes for anaemia, women’s health, and maternal and child health throughout the country. A release issued by Cornell University said that AnemiaPhone would enable access to rapid screening, and diagnosis of iron deficiency at the point of need.

Iron deficiency is a leading cause of anaemia, a condition which can cause a range of symptoms, from fatigue and shortness of breath to multi-organ failure and death. Anaemia affects 50%-70% of pregnant women in India.

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AnemiaPhone has the potential to address current challenges in screening and diagnosing iron deficiency anaemia within India’s Anaemia Mukt Bharat programme, Bharati Kulkarni, Director, ICMR - National Institute of Nutrition, and former head of the ICMR’s Reproductive, Child Health and Nutrition Division, said. She added that if it were scaled to its full capacity, it could play a pivotal role in India’s healthcare landscape, where anaemia remains a significant concern, particularly among women and children.

Cornell University’s statement added that the technology, a test strip that can be coupled with small, portable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth-enabled test strip readers, was developed and tested in the laboratories of Saurabh Mehta, David Erickson and Julia Finkelstein, founding director and co-directors of the Joan Klein Jacobs Center for Precision Nutrition and Health, and was formally transferred at no cost to India on November 7, 2024.

The technology requires a small finger stick, a drop of blood on a test strip similar to a COVID-19 home test, and a few minutes for the reader to assess. Then the information is uploaded to a clinical database via mobile phone, wireless tablet or computer. Healthcare workers can interpret the test and provide guidance, triage and referral, or intervention on the spot.

Gold standards for biomarker assessments often have lab-intensive methodologies that much of the world cannot access or afford, Dr. Finkelstein, whose lab in India validated the accuracy of the technology, said. AnemiaPhone can help bridge this gap, allowing iron deficiency to be quickly and cheaply diagnosed at home, in a clinic, or during door-to-door healthcare surveys, reducing costs and speeding intervention.