AI Based Cough Monitoring Tool

Overview

Respiratory diseases like TB, influenza, and RSV claim thousands of lives across Africa each year yet most cases are caught too late, when treatment is harder and spread is already underway. In low-resource settings, where access to healthcare professionals is limited, high-risk contacts often have no reliable way to know when their symptoms warrant urgent attention.

The AI-based cough monitoring tool changes that. Accessible via smartphone through the Hyfe app, the tool allows users to record their coughs, which are then analyzed by a digital triage AI that identifies the cough type and recommends whether a visit to a healthcare professional is needed. By leveraging locally relevant data, the system tailors guidance to individual and community needs making it as relevant in a rural clinic as in an urban household.

The impact is already visible. Key stakeholders have been trained on proper procedures and app usage, enabling earlier identification of illness, reducing disease spread, and initiating timely treatment. With a scalable system for nationwide implementation in development, the project offers a community-driven model for responsible AI deployment that could transform how Africa detects and responds to respiratory disease outbreaks before they spiral out of control.