AI-based diabetes assistant launched in Pakistan

KARACHI: An Artificial Intelligence (AI) based solution, Diabot, has been launched to help people know their diabetes status and provide valuable information on how to keep blood sugar level in control.

Named as Diabot, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based personal diabetes assistant can now help people in knowing their diabetes status, fixing an appointment with a diabetologist across Pakistan, and providing valuable information on how to keep blood sugar level in control by diet management and physical exercise, experts said on Monday.

The chatbot has been launched as part of “Discovering Diabetes” Project, under which over 300,000 people have been approached across Pakistan since its inception in 2021, they said adding that the artificial intelligence based solution would help in reaching out to millions of undiagnosed diabetics and getting their disease controlled.

“DIABOT will assess diabetes risk through an AI supported chatbot which works as personal assistant for patient. This innovative tool offers personalized medication reminders, dietary guidance, lifestyle tips, and medication information. Any person calling on discovering diabetes’ helpline 0800-66766 would be connected with Diabot”, Syed Jamshed Ahmed, Project Lead of the Discovering Diabetes said at the launching ceremony of the chatbot.

Vice President of Pakistan Endocrine Society (PES) Dr. Ali Asghar, Brand Ambassador Discovering Diabetes Waseem Badami, Managing Director of the local pharmaceutical firm PharmEvo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Essa Laboratory and Diagnostic Center Dr. Farhan Essa, Dr. Nadeem Ashraf and others were also present on the occasion.

Syed Jamshed Ahmed maintained that owing to overwhelming number of calls on the toll-free number of discovering diabetes, they decided to use artificial intelligence and developed the ‘Diabot’ which will respond to queries of common people regarding diabetes, help people in eating healthy diet and advising on calorie-intake to remain fit and healthy.

“Future phases include the establishment of an advisory board and the expansion of Diabot’s knowledge base. We have recently partnered with Dr. Essa Lab to offer subsidized lab tests for diabetic patients, making healthcare more accessible”, he said adding only behavioural changes could help in controlling diabetes and other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Pakistan.

Renowned diabetologist Dr. Ali Asghar claimed that Pakistan was facing a disaster in the shape of out of control diabetes epidemic, claiming that the number of people with diabetes could be around 60 million in the country as most of the people living with were still undiagnosed.

“Physical inactivity in addition to unhealthy, processed food, heavy intake of unhealthy oils and use of sugar-rich sweets, confectionary and drinks are the major cause of diabetes in Pakistan”, Dr Ali Asghar said and urged people to adopt a healthy lifestyle and refrain from eating unhealthy, processed food to remain fit and healthy.

He claimed that due to growing poverty, most of the people don’t get themselves screened for diabetes despite knowing their risk factors as it would extra burden of medicines of them but warned such people that uncontrolled diabetes could result in loss of lower limbs, kidney failure, vision loss and heart disease.

“But the use of artificial intelligence can lower burden on the healthcare professionals and help people in improving their health through lifestyle changes”, he added.

Managing Director of PharmEvo Haroon Qasim said as per their dream of a healthy society, they were trying to serve the society which resulted in launching the discovering diabetes project to identify undiagnosed diabetics and link them with physicians so that they could live a healthy life.

Deploring the health was not a priority of government as well as common people, he said as nation, Pakistani people need to change their dietary habits, lifestyle and emerge as a healthy nation.

CEO of the Essa Laboratories Dr. Farhna Essa said they would offer subsidized tests to the people coming through discovering diabetes project and those who could not afford the cost, would be offer free diagnostics, whose cost would be borne by the PharmEvo.

Brand Ambassador Discovering Diabetes Waseem Badami said use of artificial intelligence is remarkable idea in identifying undiagnosed diabetics and hoped that it would help in managing diabetes in Pakistan.