Dear CommCare Partners,
We have been introduced to CommCare via Nethope and were advised to reach
out to you. We are Jennifer Tang and Jarrel Seah the creators of Eyenaemia (
www.eyenaemia.com) - alow cost, non-invasive and easily accessible
screening tool for anaemia which is as simple as taking a selfie. We
are the 2014 winners of the Microsoft Imagine Cup an international student
technology competition and as a prize got a mentoring session
http://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/An-Eye-for-Innovation-Imagine-Cup-2014 with
Bill Gates.
Anaemia affects 2 billion people worldwide and still today results in 20%
of maternal deaths. Anaemia even in its most severe form is associated with
vague symptoms and the majority of cases of anaemia are silent. Yet, the
consequences of anaemia may be fatal and hence early detection and prompt
targeted treatment is necessary. There are many causes of anaemia such as
iron deficiency, cancer and infection, but anaemia may be an early sign of
many other underlying conditions. For example, anaemia may be the only
early sign of bowel cancer.
The solution is entirely computer automated and enables an untrained user
to take a photo with any camera enabled device and analyses the inner
portion of the lower eyelid known as the conjunctiva. Once the user takes
the photo it is sent to a server where it is processed by the computer and
the risk of anaemia is sent to the user in 1-2 minutes. Our preliminary
data from trials in Australia show that our solution can detect up to 95%
of people with severe anaemia. In the literature trained clinicians rates
of pick up were between 20% - 80%. We are looking to further validate our
solution through partnerships in developing countries to ensure that our
solution is effective in all environments and populations and this is where
we are seeking your help.
We are seeking research partners who already have testing for anaemia in
place and would be able to collect a photo alongside this to validate our
solution further. If you would be able to help or know anyone that would be
able to help us and discuss research collaborations and future partnerships
please email us at team@eyenaemia.com.
Kind Regards,
Jennifer and Jarrel