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The WHO Skin NTDs App shows encouraging results in Kenya study [1]

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Date: 2024-12

The World Health Organization (WHO) met with Kenya’s Ministry of Health on 25 November 2024 to discuss preliminary results from the first-ever real-world assessment of the WHO Skin NTDs App, powered by two artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithms.

This study – conducted in collaboration with TDR, the Open University of Catalonia, the Catalan Institute of Health, the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and the University of Bristol – is the first of its kind to simultaneously assess two AI-based algorithms: one developed by Universal Doctor for WHO, focusing on 12 skin-related neglected tropical diseases (skin NTDs); the other developed by Belle.ai, customized at WHO’s request for 24 common skin conditions.

The study was carried out across five counties in Kenya, where 40 front-line health workers at the primary healthcare level from the Ministry of Health, collected 605 images of skin lesions from an equal number of patients between June and October 2024.

“Skin diseases remain a significant public health issue in Kenya, accounting for up to 10–30% of outpatient consultations. Compounding this challenge is the shortage of dermatologists in the country. The WHO Skin NTDs App, powered by AI, is designed to assist healthcare workers in improving disease management”, said Dr Joyce Onsongo, WHO NTD officer in Kenya.



Preliminary results showed an average sensitivity of approximately 80% for both algorithms when compared with the diagnoses provided by three board-certified dermatologists.

“Having been able to carry out this study in a relatively short period of time in remote areas is already a big achievement for all those who made the study possible. The results are very encouraging”, said Dr José Antonio Ruiz Postigo, Medical Officer, WHO Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme.

In addition to assessing the performance of the AI algorithms, the study also gathered comprehensive feedback from front-line health workers who used the App in their specific healthcare contexts. Results from the User Version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS) showed a mean score of 3.82 out of 5, while focus group discussions reflected a score of 8 out of 10.

“The healthcare professionals felt empowered, their self-esteem increased a lot, and both peers and patients trusted more on them to assess skin lesions”, said Professor Carme Carrion, Principal Investigator, Open University of Catalonia.

“It was interesting to see that the front-line health care professionals felt that the App was their partner in the diagnosis of skin conditions, and that it helped destigmatize patients affected by skin NTDs”, said Dr Ruth Nyangacha, Research scientist in KEMRI and the site Principal Investigator in Kenya.

The next step is to conduct an in-depth analysis of the results to determine the way forward.

WHO plans to replicate this study in Brazil, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and India in the next biennium to evaluate the AI algorithms’ performance in varying epidemiological contexts.

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The updated App is available free of charge on both Android ( here) and iOS ( here) devices.

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[1] Url: https://www.who.int/news/item/04-12-2024-the-who-skin-ntds-app-shows-encouraging-results-in-kenya-study

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