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AI tools developed in China are helping Pakistan and other countries screen large populations for diseases where specialist doctors are limited.
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Chinese medical artificial intelligence tools are expanding disease screening across the Global South, including Pakistan, where shortages of medical specialists make early diagnosis difficult.
These systems combine portable imaging devices with artificial intelligence analysis to screen large numbers of patients quickly. The technology identifies possible abnormalities and flags people who need further testing, helping health systems handle screening tasks that would otherwise require specialist doctors.
The need is significant in many developing countries. According to the World Health Organization, 10.7 million people fell ill with tuberculosis in 2024, but only 8.3 million were diagnosed and treated. Most cases were concentrated in a group of 30 countries that includes Pakistan.
Radiologist shortages also remain a major challenge. Low income countries have roughly one radiologist per million people, compared with 93 per million in high income countries.
Chinese companies have already deployed screening systems in several regions. InferVision’s AI tools have been used in about 40 countries and more than 2,000 institutions. In Pakistan, the system was integrated with portable X ray equipment to screen over 8,000 people in remote mining communities in 2023.
Another Chinese company, Landing Med, has partnered with Akbar Niazi Teaching Hospital to provide AI assisted cervical cancer screening for women.
