Odisha Leads National Pilot on AI-Powered Tool for Child Growth Monitoring

Bhubaneswar: To revolutionize child health monitoring, Odisha has launched a five-day training-cum-workshop focused on developing an artificial intelligence-based tool for child anthropometry. The initiative, titled “AI for Growth Monitoring,” aims to harness the power of AI to improve the accuracy and efficiency of measuring children’s growth indicators. Principal Secretary, Women & Child Development Department, Shubha Sarma inaugurated the event..

Organized under the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), Government of India, Wadhwani AI, ICMR-RMRC Bhubaneswar, and Poshan Abhiyaan, the initiative aims to develop an AI-based tool to enhance the accuracy and ease of child anthropometric measurements by Anganwadi Workers (AWWs).

The inaugural ceremony was graced by several distinguished guests including Dr. Sanghamitra Pati, Director of ICMR-RMRC Bhubaneswar and Additional Director General of ICMR Delhi; N.C. Jyotiranjan Nayak, Additional Secretary of WCD Department; Dr. Makarand Tapaswi, Lead Investigator from Wadhwani AI; Dr. Subhendu Kumar Acharya, Scientist-D, ICMR-RMRC Bhubaneswar; and Dr. Sneha Nikam, National Program Lead from Wadhwani AI. On the occasion, a specially curated training module was also launched to guide field teams in data collection for the development of the AI tool.

This AI tool will allow Anganwadi Workers to record child growth metrics such as weight, height, head circumference, and chest circumference using simple video recordings on basic smartphones. The data captured will be processed using artificial intelligence to ensure accurate and early detection of malnutrition and growth-related issues in children.

Odisha has taken the lead in this national initiative, becoming the first state to pilot the development and field application of the AI-based child anthropometry tool. With its extensive experience in child nutrition and health programmes, the state sets a precedent for others—namely Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh—that are scheduled to follow in subsequent phases.

During the five-day workshop, field investigators are being trained in standardized methods of measuring child growth indicators. Trainers from ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), ICMR-RMRC Bhubaneswar, and Wadhwani AI are conducting the hands-on sessions.

After the training, the participants will begin a 3 to 4-month field data collection process across selected districts of Balasore, Cuttack, Ganjam, Jajpur, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj. The pilot will provide vital inputs for refining the AI model before national scale-up.