A consortium of nine leading institutions across Africa and Europe has launched MultiplexAI, a groundbreaking initiative to develop the world’s first AI mobile diagnostic copilot capable of detecting every disease visible on a microscopy slide.
MultiplexAI will transform conventional microscopes into smart tools, bringing expert-level diagnostics to the point of care and opening new possibilities for faster, more accurate, and more accessible healthcare.
The initiative is supported by the EDCTP3 program from the EU with partners in Nigeria, Mozambique, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Italy and Spain. The project is coordinated by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by “la Caixa” Foundation, and powered by SpotLab’s technology, a Spanish company specializing in artificial intelligence for medical diagnostics and biopharmaceutical research.
Tackling a Global Health Challenge with AI
Parasitic diseases such as malaria and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) remain leading causes of illness and death in low- and middle-income countries. Diagnosis still relies heavily on manual microscopy: a labour-intensive method that depends on the availability and expertise of the analyst, making it prone to delays, variability, and misdiagnosis.
MultiplexAI aims to clinically validate a system that provides fast, accurate, and affordable parasite diagnosis at the point of care. The solution works like an “Instagram filter”, analyzing microscopy images of blood samples to detect patterns of disease. An advanced computer vision foundation AI model running on smartphones connected to standard microscopes through 3D-printed adapters delivers expert-level results in real time.
“This project aims to unleash the AI revolution to transform millions of microscopes around the world into a network of intelligent devices that can provide reliable diagnostics and medical knowledge for everyone, everywhere,” said Dr. Miguel Luengo-Oroz, CEO of SpotLab, “We are taking on a bold technical AI challenge to help solve a problem that matters”.
MultiplexAI builds on European AI innovations already used in hospitals and research centres worldwide, taking them a step further. The project brings an AI model capable of detecting multiple parasites from a single sample to guide healthcare workers decisions. Designed to work offline and connect with a telemedicine platform when connectivity is available, the system adapts to diverse clinical settings and will be validated through multi-country clinical studies across Africa and Europe.
“Too often, the places that need reliable diagnostics the most are the least equipped to access them,” pointed out Dr. Gloria Dada Chechet, Associate Professor at ABU in Nigeria and Scientific Project Lead for MultiplexAI. “MultiplexAI meets that challenge by bringing expert analysis directly to the point of care.”
Towards More Accessible Healthcare
In addition to technical performance, this project will also ensure the usability, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness of the MultiplexAI system. Health impact and economics modelling will estimate its potential to reduce misdiagnosis, improve patient outcomes, and strengthen healthcare systems.
“Over one billion people, many of them children, remain at risk of parasitic diseases,” said Dr. Quique Bassat, Director General of ISGlobal in Spain. “With MultiplexAI, we are proving how deep-tech innovation, built with global partners, can democratize expert-level diagnostics and help transform health systems worldwide.”
The project makes an important effort to ensure a responsible and equitable AI, following WHO’s ethical principles for trustworthy AI, respecting privacy, and aligning with the medical device regulations and the EU AI Act to prioritize safety, transparency, and sustainability. A Global Access Plan will guide responsible deployment and ensure equitable access in underserved regions.
About MultiplexAI
MultiplexAI is a 3.5-year, €5 million project funded under the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP3). Its goal is to validate and deploy a scalable AI-based diagnostic platform for parasitic diseases, strengthening local diagnostic capacity, reducing misdiagnosis, and advancing universal health coverage.
Consortium partners include:
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health – ISGlobal (Spain)
- SpotLab (Spain)
- Ahmadu Bello University (Nigeria)
- Fundação Manhiça (Mozambique)
- Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny (Ivory Coast)
- Jimma University (Ethiopia)
- IRCCS Ospedale Sacro Cuore Don Calabria (Italy)
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spain)
- Innovation consultancy Hutzpa (Nigeria)
For more information, visit: www.multiplexai.org