New real-life tests of the SAM PHOTO application on children successfully carried out.
The technical development process for the SAM Photo application from Action Against Hunger, which is used to detect severe acute malnutrition (SAM), is continuing, with the focus on improving its automaticity and agility.
Using a simple photo taken with a mobile phone camera, SAM Photo compares the silhouette of a healthy child with that of the examinee, which avoids human error and provides a more accurate and detailed view of the child's nutritional status.
The application has recently completed the development of the optimized and automated functionality of the diagnostic algorithm, which allows for better sensitivity and speed in the detection of malnutrition.
Tania Vélez, from the SAM Photo App team, prepares two girl volunteers for the test. © Alex Lomart for Acción contra el Hambre
Thanks to the generosity of 19 children and their families, four test sessions were held at the headquarters of Action Against Hunger on June 14, 15, 16 and 17. In these sessions, after carrying out the traditional measurement of malnutrition in the participating children by measuring the circumference of the upper arm, photographs were taken of their left arm to evaluate the functioning of the SAM Photo diagnostic application via mobile phone. In addition, parents and/or guardians completed a brief questionnaire and participated in discussion groups in order to gather information on users' perceptions of the application.
Juan Burgos, from the SAM Photo App team, takes pictures of a volunteer's arm. © Alex Lomart for Acción contra el Hambre
This real-life test on minors provided information on the ease and intuitiveness of taking the photo and the consistency of the result obtained with the measurement previously taken using the traditional method. Based on the test carried out, the SAM Photo team will organize and analyze the data collected to guide the next steps in the technological development of the application.
SAM Photo, a revolutionary innovation
SAM Photo has been designed to meet the urgent need to detect severe acute malnutrition (SAM), which contributes to almost three thousand deaths a day from hunger-related causes. Almost 75% of malnourished children do not receive the help they need, with delayed diagnosis being one of the most significant obstacles.
