🗞️ Why in News The GARBH-INi initiative, South Asia’s largest pregnancy cohort study, is enrolling approximately 12,000 women and deploying AI-driven diagnostics to address India’s preterm birth crisis, which accounts for 3.6 million of the country’s 27 million annual births.

About GARBH-INi

Feature Detail
Full form Group for Advanced Research on Birth outcomes, an interdisciplinary INitiative
Leading institution Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad
Under Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology
Cohort size ~12,000 women enrolled
Biorepository 1.6 million biospecimens
Imaging data 1 million ultrasound images
Distinction South Asia’s largest pregnancy cohort

India’s Preterm Birth Crisis

India ranks first globally in absolute number of preterm births:

Metric Value
Total annual births in India ~27 million
Preterm births (before 37 weeks) ~3.6 million (13.3%)
Global preterm births ~15 million/year
Preterm birth: Leading cause of Under-5 mortality worldwide
India’s share of global preterm births ~24%

AI-Driven Solutions

Pregnancy Dating Models

Traditional pregnancy dating relies on the Last Menstrual Period (LMP) method, which is inaccurate for ~40% of Indian women due to irregular cycles and late booking. GARBH-INi’s AI models use ultrasound measurements and biochemical markers to predict gestational age more accurately.

Microbiome-Based Predictors

The vaginal and gut microbiome composition during pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth risk. GARBH-INi’s machine learning models identify high-risk microbial signatures in early pregnancy, enabling targeted interventions.

Rapid Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Designed for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) at Primary Health Centres:

  • Paper-based rapid tests that detect preterm birth biomarkers from a drop of blood
  • Results in 15–20 minutes without laboratory equipment
  • Enables early referral of high-risk pregnancies to district hospitals

AI in Healthcare: SAHI Framework

The Ministry of Health has unveiled the SAHI (Strategy for AI in Healthcare for India) framework to govern AI deployment in the health sector:

  • AI-based cancer detection tools classified as Class C medical devices under regulatory oversight
  • MegCan Care Project: Free AI-driven cancer screening for 1 million individuals
  • Focus areas: radiology, pathology, maternal health, disease surveillance

THSTI and DBT

The Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) is part of the NCR Biotech Science Cluster in Faridabad, India’s largest biotech research campus:

Institution Focus
THSTI Translational research, lab to clinic
RCB (Regional Centre for Biotechnology) International training and education
NIBMG (National Institute of Biomedical Genomics) Genomics and precision medicine
DBT-BIRAC Biotech startup funding and incubation

UPSC Relevance

Prelims: GARBH-INi full form, THSTI, DBT, WHO definition of preterm birth, India’s rank in preterm births

Mains GS-2: Health policy, maternal and child health, role of AI in public healthcare delivery

Mains GS-3: Science & Technology, AI applications in healthcare, indigenisation of diagnostics

📌 Facts Corner: Knowledgepedia

GARBH-INi:

  • Full form: Group for Advanced Research on Birth outcomes, an interdisciplinary INitiative
  • Led by: THSTI, Faridabad (under DBT)
  • Cohort: ~12,000 women; 1.6 million biospecimens; 1 million ultrasound images
  • India’s preterm births: 3.6 million/year (1st globally in absolute numbers)
  • Preterm defined: Birth before 37 completed weeks of gestation

AI in Healthcare (India):

  • SAHI: Strategy for AI in Healthcare for India (MoHFW framework)
  • AI cancer tools: Classified as Class C medical devices
  • MegCan Care: Free AI-driven cancer screening for 1 million people
  • AI Pap smear accuracy: 94%; 380x faster than manual pathology

Other Relevant Facts:

  • THSTI location: NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad
  • DBT: Department of Biotechnology (Ministry of Science & Technology)
  • Global preterm births: ~15 million/year; 1 million die from complications annually
  • SDG 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and under-5 children by 2030
  • India’s NMR (Neonatal Mortality Rate): ~20 per 1,000 live births (SRS 2022)

Sources: The Hindu, Indian Express, DBT

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