Jakarta (VNA) – The National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN) is developing an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to support malaria diagnosis, toward warding off the disease by 2030.
Anto Satriyo Nugroho, Director of the Centre for AI and Cybersecurity Research at BRIN, revealed that the centre has trained an AI model using more than 1,300 microscopic images of malaria-infected blood samples. Initial trials have shown promising results, with the AI system successfully identifying the size and shape of infected blood cells and accurately classifying both the species and developmental stages of malaria parasites. The system currently boasts an overall accuracy rate of 80.6%.
The model is capable of detecting four types of malaria parasites, including Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae, and Plasmodium ovale. However, Nugroho noted that a major challenge in the development of AI-based diagnostic tools lies in the morphological changes that malaria parasites undergo throughout their lifecycle.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Indonesia ranks second in Asia in terms of malaria cases, following India. In 2024, the country recorded about 500,000 malaria cases, with 88% concentrated in the Papua./.
