GenoSynth

GenoSynth leverages AI to analyze genomic, clinical and environmental data to predict antimicrobial resistance emergence and transmission among at-risk mothers and newborns. Our models identify situations requiring proactive intervention to prevent AMR outbreaks, improving patient safety and health outcomes through targeted prevention strategies.

Juliana Magesa, CEO of GenoSynth, leads our team in pioneering AI-driven solutions to predict and prevent antimicrobial resistance, ensuring safer healthcare practices for mothers and infants.

The rise of antimicrobial resistance in healthcare settings is a huge problem, particularly for pregnant women and newborns. Statistics show that 7% of women who develop infections while giving birth die in developing nations. Over 100,000 neonatal deaths are linked to antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections annually worldwide. 

In Tanzania, a study of 15 major hospitals found that 30% of maternal infections and 20% of neonatal sepsis cases were resistant to first-line antibiotics recommended by WHO. The economic costs are also staggering - in one province alone, resistant infections add over $1 million yearly to hospital bills. Moreover, studies indicate 80% of resistant genes are transmitted from mothers to infants during labor and delivery. Once established, these infections can spread rapidly through neonatal intensive care units.

The causes of rising resistance include overuse and misuse of antibiotics during delivery, inadequate infection control practices, and lack of antimicrobial stewardship and surveillance in many birthing centers. Traditional methods detect outbreaks too late, after resistance has already disseminated. With more drug-resistant "superbugs" emerging, improving prevention and detection is critical - but current tools are not suited to the urgency and scale of the problem in resource-limited settings. 

Our main target audiences are:

- Healthcare providers in Tanzanian hospitals: GenoSynth supports overburdened infection control teams by enhancing real-time surveillance capabilities. It addresses their need for timely, actionable insights on AMR hotspots. We are engaging clinicians through collaborations with national hospitals to understand workflow challenges and gather system requirements. 

- Neonates and mothers: By enabling faster response to outbreaks, GenoSynth aims to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality from resistant infections. This addresses the basic need for quality healthcare access and improved outcomes. 

- Healthcare administrators: Hospital leadership needs tools to reduce costs associated with resistant infections through targeted prevention. GenoSynth aims to lower costs from decreased length of stay and antibiotic usage. 

- Public health agencies: National and international agencies need data-driven solutions to curb AMR's human and economic toll. GenoSynth will provide evidence to guide Tanzania's national AMR action plan by illuminating transmission dynamics on a broader scale.

We regularly consult clinicians, patients' families and government representatives to ensure our solution aligns with and meaningfully supports their priorities and pain points through an advocacy partner.

GenoSynth directly provides three key public goods:

1. Open-access epidemiological analytics dashboard: Our web portal aggregates anonymized insights on AMR transmission patterns, antimicrobial usage trends, and infection risk factors across partner hospitals. This empowers clinicians, public health researchers and policymakers with a shared evidence base to guide best practices. 

2. Open-source framework: We will fully document and release the underlying genomic, clinical and environmental data integration methodologies so they can be readily adopted or built upon for similar applications worldwide. 

3. Peer-reviewed findings: By publishing model validation results and case studies highlighting outbreak reconstructions or unexpected insights uncovered, our research disseminates lessons learned to the global scientific community working to curb AMR. Over time, this knowledge base will be expanded through additional pilots and retrospective analyses involving diverse settings and pathogens.

Together, these public goods constitute a unique resource for decision makers and innovators everywhere grappling with AMR's complex, data-intensive challenges. Most importantly, they strengthen capacity globally for more timely detection and collective response - advancing public health security for all. Access will always remain open under transparent terms.

Our solution aims to have a significant public health impact by improving outcomes for over 100,000 mothers and newborns seen annually in partner hospitals in Tanzania. 

By enabling more timely detection of antimicrobial resistance hotspots, GenoSynth allows infection control teams to respond up to 2 weeks earlier than traditional methods. Even small reductions in response times can curb outbreaks before many patients are affected. 

Research shows every day of delayed therapy increases neonatal mortality from sepsis by over 10%. Faster alerts predicting at-risk mothers and newborns could mean the difference between life and death for hundreds of infants each year. 

Healthcare workers interviewed also stressed the value of targeted prevention - a key outcome enabled by our solution. By proactively focusing efforts where resistance is emerging rather than after an outbreak, significant costs from prolonged hospital stays, additional drug usage and morbidity can be avoided. 

Our model results analyzing simulated Tanzanian hospital data indicate predictive accuracy exceeding 80%, which if translated to reality could represent thousands of lives and millions of dollars saved through quicker, smarter infection control each year. We aim to meaningfully improve outcomes for vulnerable groups through innovative data-driven solutions.

Over the next year, we plan to:

- Pilot GenoSynth at Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania's largest referral facility, engaging 1000 mothers/newborns. 

- Validate our models’ predictions against real outbreak outcomes, refining approaches. 

- Publish findings demonstrating 2-week reduction in response times versus standard surveillance.  

- Train 20 local technicians in genomic and clinical data integration methods.

In the next 3 years, we aim to:

- Expand platform use to 5 major urban hospitals, reaching 100,000+ patients annually. 

- Build capacity through virtual training programs for technicians nationwide.

- Develop partnerships in 2-3 additional African nations to establish regional learning networks.

- Advance mobile and point-of-care technologies to extend reach to rural areas.

- Establish an open-source global AMR surveillance repository incorporating our validated models and analytics tools.

- Author scientific papers quantifying cost-savings and quality improvements resulting from timely preventions guided by our predictive platform. 

- Participate in national and international policy discussions on targeting high-burden settings and pathogens.

Our goal is to establish GenoSynth as the leading data-driven solution transforming AMR surveillance capacity and outcomes across Africa.

We have established the following key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure GenoSynth's success:

1. Time to detection - Average weeks from emergence of high-risk cluster/strain to platform alert. Pilot goal: Reduce from 4 weeks to 2 weeks.  

2. Accuracy - Percentage of predictions validated by actual outcomes. Pilot target: Maintain >80% through live testing validation.

3. Outbreak size - Average number of affected patients per successfully intercepted transmission event. Pilot aim: Limit to 5 or fewer secondary cases.

4. Cost avoidance - Estimated USD savings per prevented prolonged hospitalization, adjusted for local prices. Pilot estimate: $500-$1000 per case. 

5. User experience - Net Promoter Score from clinician surveys on system usability, utilitarian value. Pilot goal: Achieve >50% promoter rating.

We track these metrics through our analytics dashboards and will evaluate pilot performance against targets through a prospective controlled study. Subsequent rollouts will establish baselines at new sites which we aim to surpass each year. Continuous monitoring ensures we effectively maximize public health impact through data-driven quality improvement.

There are several potential barriers to scaling our impact, but we have workable plans to overcome them:

Infrastructure: Reliable high-speed bandwidth/cloud computing will be critical as we expand to multiple hospital partners. We will pursue AWS credits/grants to offset server costs. 

Technical: Complex model training requires skilled oversight. We will train local technicians through online programs in genomic analysis/AI while collaborating remotely. 

Legislative: Some governments restrict federated learning across borders due to data sovereignty laws. By releasing open-source methodologies, we enable partners to independently analyze their domestic data.

Budget: Sustained funding is needed to maintain platforms, equipment and personnel over time. We will pursue blended financing options including donor funding, impact investments and modest subscription fees shared across healthcare networks.

Adoption: Busy clinicians have limited time for new technologies. Extensive usability testing and embedded champions within hospitals will socialize integration into standard workflows. 

While scaling presents challenges, we are resolute in overcoming constraints to deliver actionable insights where needs are greatest. With the right partnerships and adaptive strategies, GenoSynth can help curb the rising global threat of AMR.

We are applying to The Trinity Challenge because it is uniquely positioned to help us overcome several key barriers holding back the scale and impact of our solution.

The financial award would allow us to accelerate progress - securing critical early piloting, model validation and sustainability planning work that our current funding falls short of. 

Partnering under the auspices of such a prestigious program would also strengthen our proposals and justification for long-term partnerships and financing from governments, NGOs and donors.

Accessing the expert networks and advisory support from The Trinity Challenge could help navigate regulatory complexities as we begin multi-country initiatives. Their guidance would be invaluable.

Participating in accelerator activities would offer unparalleled learning opportunities to refine not just the technical platform but also non-technical aspects like stakeholder engagement, ethics, and long-term governance.

Above all, being selected would serve as an endorsement validating that our innovative use of genomics and AI can truly transform infectious disease outcomes - unlocking even greater impact potential through new opportunities and collaborations.

The Challenge’s support would decisively propel us towards realizing our vision of empowering Africa’s healthcare heroes with data-driven tools to stem AMR's rising tide.

We would like to collaborate with the following organizations to initiate, accelerate, and scale our solution:

1. World Health Organization (WHO): Collaboration with WHO would provide access to global expertise, guidelines, and networks in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance and public health.

2. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Partnering with the Gates Foundation would offer funding opportunities, technical support, and connections to other stakeholders working on maternal and child health initiatives.

3. Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC): Working with Africa CDC would facilitate regional collaboration, data sharing, and capacity building in AMR surveillance across African countries.

4. Global Fund: Collaboration with the Global Fund would enable access to resources for strengthening healthcare systems, including laboratory infrastructure and workforce training, essential for implementing our solution.

5. Wellcome Trust: Partnering with Wellcome Trust would provide funding, research expertise, and support for evidence-based policymaking to address AMR in low- and middle-income countries.

These collaborations would help us leverage resources, expertise, and networks to accelerate the impact of GenoSynth in combating AMR and improving maternal and child health outcomes.