The SkincAIr consortium recently travelled to Senegal to conduct fieldwork and user research, while also taking part in the national ceremony for the Célébration de la Journée Mondiale de Lutte contre Les MTN (World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day) held in Khombole. This mission marked an important milestone for the project, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring that our AI-powered solution for skin-related neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is firmly grounded in the realities of frontline healthcare systems in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Several key members of the consortium were present during the visit, including David Shaikh from Sherwood, Mr François Beuchet, Director of Centre Hospitalier de l’Ordre de Malte (CHOM), Dr Lahla Fall, dermatologist specialized in leprosy at CHOM and main researcher for SkincAIr project in Senegal, and Béatrice Alary, project coordinator for SkincAIr at CHOM. Their presence enabled in-depth discussions, hands-on exchanges, and direct engagement with healthcare professionals.
A central focus of the visit was gathering practical feedback to fine-tune the project’s prototype. The team met with Ndeye Mbacke Kane, Coordinator of the National Program against NTDs and President of the ESPEN OMS directive committee, who reiterated her strong support for SkincAIr and its innovative approach. They also engaged with Dr. Fatou Diagne Gueye, Dr. Rosalie Sarr and Dr. Elisabeth Diouf, whose insightful and constructive feedback will directly contribute to improving the app’s usability and clinical relevance and helped enrich our understanding of implementation challenges, training needs, and diagnostic realities in the field.
During the national ceremony in Khombole, SkincAIr partners had informal talks with national and local stakeholders to raise awareness among community members, healthcare workers, and policymakers about how the project is leveraging AI to strengthen early detection and management of skin-related NTDs. The event featured several powerful speeches emphasizing the importance of research, early diagnosis, and innovation in the fight against neglected tropical diseases—priorities that are fully aligned with SkincAIr’s mission.
A particularly proud moment for the consortium was witnessing our valued partner, the Centre Hospitalier de l’Ordre de Malte (CHOM), receive an honorable prize from the Senegal Ministry of Health in recognition of its outstanding work on NTDs. We could not be prouder to collaborate with such a dedicated institution whose expertise and long-standing commitment to vulnerable communities are essential to the success of SkincAIr.
This mission to Senegal reaffirmed that impactful innovation requires close collaboration between technology developers, clinicians, policymakers, and communities. By combining AI-driven tools, strong institutional partnerships, and continuous dialogue with those working on the frontlines, SkincAIr continues to move forward in its goal of improving the detection and management of skin-related neglected tropical diseases across Sub-Saharan Africa.
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