By – Dr. Bilal Thangal T M, Medical Lead, NURA – AI Health Screening Center, India

“In a densely populated country like India, whose population grows by approximately 1.2 crore people each year, prevention is the best strategy to keep it healthy and unclog its public health system.

There are multiple ways to protect people from diseases, and they must work hand in hand. One is vaccination, which helps build immunity at scale. The other is through continuous awareness programmes and periodic health screenings, which are equally essential to detect diseases early, monitor health trends, and take timely action. In many cases, both vaccination and regular screenings are necessary for effective prevention and management.

Prevention is the best way to keep populations physically and financially healthy, especially in India, where public health infrastructure is inadequate and private treatment costs are rising. Over 47% of healthcare expenses in India are paid out-of-pocket, and when these costs exceed 10% of a household’s spending, it can be catastrophic. Alarmingly, high out-of-pocket costs push around 38 million Indians below the poverty line every year. To strengthen prevention, we need to enhance health awareness and expand access to affordable screening.

Advancements in technology, especially in AI and robotics, have transformed the medical diagnostics industry, making it more efficient and accurate. These technologies are particularly useful in predicting disease outbreaks and assessing the likelihood of individuals developing diseases in the future. AI-powered imaging is now playing a pivotal role in early detection, chest X-rays and CT scans supported by AI are enabling faster and more accurate diagnosis of lung cancer; AI-enabled mammography is improving the detection of breast cancer at earlier stages; and cervical cancer screening using AI is making this vital test more accessible and reliable. As such advanced screening tools become more widely commercialized, early detection and prevention will become more effective, successful, and affordable.”