Last updated on December 25, 2025
India’s Punjab state has launched an ambitious program to deploy portable, AI-enabled devices for the early detection of breast and cervical cancers and vision impairment in rural communities. The program, rolled out across eight districts, is designed to screen around 300 women for cancer and 600 people for eye conditions every day.
Officials say the effort is urgently needed: in 2024, Punjab reported 42,288 new cancer cases, marking a seven percent increase from the previous year. By moving screening closer to villages, the state hopes to reduce the high rate of late-stage diagnoses that overwhelm hospitals.
How AI Devices Are Transforming Early Detection
The initiative uses three key technologies. Thermalytix, developed by Niramai, is an AI-assisted breast thermography tool that uses heat patterns rather than radiation to identify abnormalities, making it safe, portable and more suitable for community use compared to mammography.
Smart Scope, a handheld cervical cancer triage device, allows trained health workers to capture images of the cervix and detect precancerous changes early. For eye health, portable auto-refractors developed by Forus Health enable rapid detection of vision problems and early signs of diabetic retinopathy. Together, these devices make screening possible in rural clinics that lack advanced infrastructure.
The Global Momentum for AI in Screening
The Punjab model reflects a global trend. In 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved IDx-DR, the world’s first autonomous AI diagnostic system for diabetic retinopathy, which allows primary-care providers to deliver same-visit results without the need for an ophthalmologist. Studies published since then have confirmed its accuracy in real-world clinical workflows.
In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service is conducting the world’s largest trial of AI in breast cancer screening, involving nearly 700,000 mammograms. Early results suggest AI can safely reduce radiologists’ workload and improve early cancer detection.
Closer to home, Thailand has integrated AI for diabetic retinopathy into its national screening program, enabling real-time diagnosis in primary-care settings. India has piloted AI breast thermography and cervical imaging across several states, proving their feasibility at scale.
Malaysia’s Healthcare Landscape
Malaysia is beginning to adopt similar innovations. The Ministry of Health has confirmed pilot projects using AI in screening for cancer, tuberculosis and diabetic retinopathy.
The latest National Diabetes Registry 2023 showed that 11.12 percent of patients suffer from diabetic retinopathy, up from 10.29 percent in 2022. The rising prevalence highlights the urgent need for more accessible eye screening.
On the cervical cancer front, Malaysia has already shifted its national program to use human papillomavirus (HPV) testing, including self-sampling kits. This reform increases participation and aligns naturally with AI-supported triage, where portable imaging and AI analysis can quickly flag high-risk cases.
Opportunities and Risks
The promise of AI lies in extending specialist-level diagnostics to communities that lack advanced facilities. Portable devices supported by AI can reduce delays, expand coverage, and improve early detection, which significantly increases survival rates.
Yet challenges remain. Clinical validation is essential to ensure algorithms perform equally well across diverse populations with varying ethnicities, breast densities and age groups. Integration into referral systems is also critical: screening only saves lives if positive cases are linked to timely treatment.
Privacy and data security present another hurdle. The World Health Organization has urged governments to adopt strict safeguards for biometric images and health data, and to regularly audit AI systems for bias. Without robust governance, the benefits of AI could be undermined by risks to patient trust.
What You Should Know
For Malaysians living with diabetes, annual eye screenings remain the most effective way to prevent vision loss, whether or not AI tools are involved. For women, HPV self-sampling tests now provide a simpler, more comfortable way to participate in cervical screening programs.
Policymakers and insurers should focus on measuring whether AI tools help detect cancers earlier, reduce costs per case detected, and shorten the time between screening and treatment.
The Road Ahead
Punjab’s experiment demonstrates how AI-enabled devices can leapfrog traditional barriers to healthcare delivery. If proven effective, Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, could adapt this model to bring early detection directly into community clinics. For patients, this means shorter journeys, faster answers and, ultimately, a greater chance of survival.
The rise of AI in screening does not replace doctors but empowers communities. The real promise is creating a future where early detection is the norm, not the exception.
