Prospective Trial Opens: AI-Assisted Blind-Sweep Ultrasound (SPAQ E-con AI) vs Reference Standard for Antenatal Screening by Non-Specialist Workers in Rural DRC — Implications for Global Maternal Health
247 Health News Editorial
·17 July 2026
·5 min read
·clinical-trialsA prospective multi-centre trial (NCT07677670) is now recruiting in rural Democratic Republic of the Congo to evaluate whether AI-assisted blind-sweep ultrasound (SPAQ E-con AI), operated by trained non-specialist health workers, can accurately estimate gestational age and support antenatal screening without a sonographer present. With a target enrolment of approximately 1,430 women and completion expected by end of 2026, the findings could reshape task-shifted obstetric care delivery across low-resource settings globally.
Originally reported by ClinicalTrials.gov
References
- 1.SOIK Corporation Sarl. (2025). Diagnostic accuracy and implementation feasibility of AI-assisted blind ultrasound sweep (SPAQ E-con AI) for antenatal screening by non-specialist health workers in rural Democratic Republic of the Congo (NCT07677670). ClinicalTrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07677670
- 2.World Health Organization. (2012). Task shifting: Rational redistribution of tasks among health workforce teams — global recommendations and guidelines. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/task-shifting-rational-redistribution-of-tasks-among-health-workforce-teams
- 3.Papageorghiou, A. T., Kemp, B., Stones, W., Ohuma, E. O., Kennedy, S. H., Purwar, M., Salomon, L. J., Altman, D. G., Noble, J. A., & Bhatt, D. L. (2016). Ultrasound-based gestational-age estimation in late pregnancy. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 48(6), 719–726. https://doi.org/10.1002/uog.15894
- 4.Sounderajah, V., Ashrafian, H., Golub, R. M., Shetty, S., De Fauw, J., Hooft, L., Moons, K., Collins, G., Moher, D., Bossuyt, P. M., & Darzi, A. (2021). Developing a reporting guideline for artificial intelligence-centred diagnostic test accuracy studies: The STARD-AI Steering Group. BMJ Open, 11(6), e047709. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047709
- 5.World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, & UNDESA/Population Division. (2023). Trends in maternal mortality 2000 to 2020: Estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and UNDESA/Population Division. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240068759
- 6.Muyayalo, K. P., Mor, G., Tolosa, J. E., & Luo, Z. C. (2022). Maternal mortality in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A scoping review. Reproductive Health, 19(1), 180. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-022-01490-8
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247 Health News Editorial
247 Health News is a medical intelligence platform delivering evidence-based research appraisals, clinical trial monitoring, and health technology news for healthcare professionals.
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