Sri Lankan innovator pioneers Al-Driven Malaria Detection

In a groundbreaking step towards equitable global healthcare, Sri Lankan innovator Abisheick Nandakumar and his team at Nanjing Medical University have developed the Malaria Future Mirror—an Al-powered diagnostic microscope that promises accurate, affordable malaria detection in some of the world's most remote and resource-limited communities.

- BY IFHAM NIZAM

The project earned the Silver Medal at the 14th “Challenge Cup” QinChuang Yuan National College Students’ Entrepreneurship Competition, highlighting its potential to transform how malaria is diagnosed and treated worldwide.

For Abisheick, the inspiration to tackle malaria was personal. Speaking to The Island he said: “I come from Sri Lanka, where malaria was once a major public health challenge,” he said in an interview. “Seeing how fragile health-care access can be in rural areas, I wanted to build something that truly bridges the gap between cutting-edge technology and real-world impact.”

This mission took him from Sri Lanka to China, where he joined Nanjing Medical University—a hub for global medical innovation and interdisciplinary research. There, he found the ideal environment to develop his vision. “The university has been incredibly supportive,” Abisheick noted. “From mentorship to lab resources, it’s been a place where ideas like mine can grow and thrive.”

Malaria remains a leading cause of death in many parts of the developing world, with the World Health Organization estimating over 600,000 malaria-related deaths globally in 2023 alone. Traditional diagnostics rely heavily on microscopy, a labour-intensive process that requires both stable electricity and highly skilled personnel—luxuries that are often absent in rural clinics.

The Malaria Future Mirror tackles these limitations head-on. Using an AI model based on ResNet architecture, it automates the detection of malaria parasites in blood samples with remarkable precision—95.1% accuracy and an astounding 99.6% recall rate.