Ocular

Developing accessible and efficient disease diagnosis and surveillance tools for low-resource contexts. @AI_HealthLabMak flagship project

[Makerere AI Health Lab @AI_HealthLabMak]

Earlier this week, we had the opportunity to showcase @Ocular_Project 's progress in supporting malaria diagnosis to technical experts from @FightingMalaria

For a tool designed to work inside Uganda's health system, feedback from organisations that have spent decades on the ground supporting malaria elimination efforts here is necessary.

These conversations surface the texture of community experience, the realities of how diagnosis actually happens in the field, and the gaps our models need to close to be genuinely useful.

Iteration is only as good as the feedback that shapes it. We're grateful for stakeholders who take the work seriously enough to engage with it critically.

Learn more: https://t.co/8ZntTIPAbC

#AIforGlobalGoals

[Makerere AI Health Lab @AI_HealthLabMak]

Today is #WorldMalariaDay. 🌍

A trained microscopist is expected to manually analyze up to 20 slides a day. In Kampala alone, there is just one lab technician for every 3,000 people far below the @WHO's recommended 1:1,500 ratio. In reality, this makes diagnostics slow, error-prone, and unsustainable.

@Ocular_Project Tool automates parasite counting and analysis helping lab technicians diagnose more patients in less time.

Visit US: https://t.co/NIMgOe8gmo , https://t.co/fMwZkAkwaF
#AIFORGLOBALHEALTH

[Ocular @Ocular_Project]

Co-designing the Future of Diagnostics in Uganda.

We met with the @mengo_hospital Lab team to explore Ocular. The goal: standardization and trust. AI can reduce human variation, support heavy workloads, and help ensure reliable results.
How do you see AI shaping lab diagnostics?

[Ocular @Ocular_Project]

We hosted our first Demo Day and it delivered. 🔬

Real users. Real feedback. Live walkthroughs of Ocular from slide analysis to disease surveillance to teaching tool.

Engineers and lab experts heard it directly. That's how we improve.

#AIForGlobalGoals

[Makerere AI Health Lab @AI_HealthLabMak]

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗨𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮 🌍🩺

On this #WorldHealthDay, we reflect on the critical role of diagnostics in building resilient health systems.

Across many settings, laboratory services remain under strain. Yet timely and accurate diagnostics are foundational to effective treatment, disease control, and better health outcomes.

As these challenges persist, AI offers new possibilities:
▪️ Supporting overburdened health workers
▪️ Improving speed, consistency, and access to diagnostic insights.

AI has the potential to strengthen health systems in meaningful and scalable ways. Grounded in local contexts, these technologies can help close critical gaps bringing us closer to more responsive and effective healthcare for all. 🤖📊

#AIForGlobalGoals

[Ocular @Ocular_Project]

RT @AI_HealthLabMak: Join Us: Ocular_Project Open Demo Day.

Uganda’s laboratories face a growing diagnostic demand, yet capacity remains l…

[Makerere AI Health Lab @AI_HealthLabMak]

On World TB Day, we're thinking about what happens before the treatment.

Ending TB starts with accurate, timely diagnosis and in Uganda, that happens in a laboratory under significant pressure.

Lab technicians face a significant structural challenge, fatigue that compounds error. High volumes and long shifts mean human eyes tire and concentration dips.

@Ocular_Project is an AI-powered microscopy tool developed at the @AI_HealthLabMak that supports TB sputum smear analysis working alongside lab technicians, with the microscopes already in our labs, to bring efficiency where the system creates pressure. @Ocular_Project is built from local data, tested in local labs and designed for local realities.

On this World TB Day, @WHO is urging countries to fast-track near-point-of-care diagnostic tools for early detection. @Ocular_Project is Uganda's contribution to that direction.

Listen to @mubirukenneth, MSc, MScR, PGDME as he shares: 👇

#AIFORGLOBALGOALS

[Makerere AI Health Lab @AI_HealthLabMak]

Our Research Scientist, @TusubiraJeremy , will be contributing to @indabaxug 2026 as a facilitator in Computer Vision.

His participation is part of our wider commitment to mentoring and training the next generation of AI talent in Uganda. Through hands-on sessions in image classification and object detection, Jeremy will support participants in building practical skills applicable to real-world challenges.

At @AI_HealthLabMak , we are intentional about developing local capacity in AI to drive innovation in healthcare and beyond.

Platforms like @indabaxug Uganda play a critical role in strengthening Africa’s AI ecosystem through knowledge sharing, mentorship, and collaboration.

#AIForGlobalGoals

[Makerere AI Health Lab @AI_HealthLabMak]

In Uganda, patients arrive at the @UgandaCancerIns when the disease has already reached Stage 4. At that point, treatment becomes much harder. Early diagnosis can dramatically improve survival rates, yet awareness and access to screening remain major challenges.

Behind every diagnosis is a complex process. Pathologists carefully examine tissue slides under microscopes, sometimes spending hours reviewing a single case. In complicated cases, multiple specialists must confirm the final report. The reality is clear, we need faster, more scalable ways to support early cancer detection.

Technology may play an important role in closing this gap and at @AI_HealthLabMak we are building an app under @Ocular_Project , AI trained to help pathologists in enhancing their work so we can have early diagnosis with accuracy and cover more patients.

#AIForGlobalGoals

[Ocular @Ocular_Project]

@Ocular_Project AI-powered TB diagnostic app is under validation. With 7 lab technologists & 3

@AI_HealthLabMak members met at Kebera Diagnostic Labs to examine 74 TB smears & capture 750 images. Data will train & analyze our AI for precise TB detection.
#AIForGlobalGoals

[Ocular @Ocular_Project]

We completed an internal validation of Ocular's mobile TB diagnostic app.

Lab technicians and our tech team collaborated to generate reliable AFB grading results and high-quality microscopy image datasets now training our AI model for real-world deployment.

#AIFORGLOBALGOALS

[Ocular @Ocular_Project]

We completed an internal validation of Ocular's mobile TB diagnostic app.

Lab technicians and our tech team collaborated to generate reliable AFB grading results and high-quality microscopy image datasets now training our AI model for real-world deployment.

#AIFORGLOBALGOALS

[Target Malaria @TargetMalaria]

The #AUMalariaProgressReport2025 reveals that progress against #malaria has stalled, leaving the African continent off track to meet its 2030 elimination targets🌍

The report highlights key priorities for the #BigPush to #EndMalaria, including the urgent need for new, fit‑for‑purpose tools to accelerate progress and stay ahead of emerging challenges.
Read more: https://t.co/zwtvBpWbHT

#AUSummit @ALMA_2030 @endmalaria @_AfricanUnion

[Ocular @Ocular_Project]

Labs are the backbone of healthcare, guiding diagnosis & treatment. Yet limited access leads to misdiagnosis, delays, and higher costs.

Ocular is empowering frontline diagnostics with AI-powered microscopy bringing faster, more accurate disease detection to the point of care.

[Ocular @Ocular_Project]

In Uganda, lab techs manually analyze just 20–30 slides a day, spending ~30 min per slide amid staff shortages.

@Ocular_Project automates parasite detection, cutting analysis to 5–8 minutes and supporting technicians to diagnose more patients faster, without replacing expertise.

[Makerere AI Health Lab @AI_HealthLabMak]

How do we build AI for healthcare while protecting the people behind the data?

As we wrap up Data Privacy Week, our Senior Researcher in Ethics,Dr. @sylvia_kazooba reminds us that in developing AI-powered health interventions, privacy cannot be an afterthought. This is especially critical in our effort to build long-term trust with end users.

Handling sensitive health data is a significant responsibility. Dr. @sylvia_kazooba argues that for these innovations to be truly successful, we must embed Privacy by Design into every stage of the lifecycle from collection and storage to sharing and end-use. It is only through this proactive approach that we can ensure accountability and fairness in the digital health space.

#DataPrivacyWeek #AIforGlobalGoals

[Ocular @Ocular_Project]

@Ocular_Project develops its tools alongside Ugandan lab experts. Using slides from 28 health centers, each model is tested in real clinical settings, refined with specialist feedback to ensure accurate, reliable parasite detection

Also more @AI_HealthLabMak
#AIFORGLOBALGOALS

[Makerere AI Health Lab @AI_HealthLabMak]

Trained laboratory technicians are essential, their expertise shape patient outcomes and public health decisions. In Uganda, with severe staffing shortages and limited diagnostic infrastructure, many health systems struggle to deliver timely, accurate results or detect outbreaks early. This weakens disease surveillance and delays effective responses.

Using AI driven image analysis, @Ocular_Project aims to empower lab technicians, expand access in underserved communities, and support smarter disease surveillance.

Learn more: https://t.co/NIMgOe8gmo
https://t.co/fMwZkAkwaF

#AIFORGLOBALGOALS

[Ocular @Ocular_Project]

In Kampala, one lab tech serves 3,000 people double the @WHOUganda recommended ratio. @Ocular_Project uses AI-powered microscopy to automate parasite detection, helping labs diagnose faster and easing the burden on healthcare workers.

https://t.co/lugsbmNk9C
AIFORGLOBALGOALS

[Ocular @Ocular_Project]

🦟 Malaria remains a major challenge in Africa.

The #WorldMalariaReport2025 calls for smarter, data-driven action.

💡 Ocular Project uses #AI to boost malaria diagnosis, surveillance & community response in Uganda.

🔗 https://t.co/A7RKJGCBFi