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Meet Sophia
From diagnosis to education, Sophia connects every step of a child’s care, powered by AI, guided by compassion.
The Sophia App is a mobile and web-based platform that uses artificial intelligence to detect and manage childhood malnutrition. It empowers health workers, even in the most remote areas, to recognize early warning signs, make informed decisions, and connect with pediatricians for expert guidance and treatment.
Simple Tools. Life-Changing Impact.
The Sophia App is designed specifically for children aged five and under, when the risks of malnutrition are highest and the consequences can last a lifetime.
Using simple smartphone inputs and images, a community health worker photographs the child’s arm, records basic details, and enters other relevant data. Within minutes, Sophia’s AI model analyzes these inputs to generate a risk assessment and preliminary diagnosis.
Each case is then sent to a pediatrician for rapid review and confirmation. Families immediately receive care recommendations, and when appropriate are guided to the nearest clinic or hospital for treatment of severe cases.
Through WhatsApp integration, families can receive ongoing AI-assisted, physician-connected care, including personalized nutrition education and follow-up support to help children stay healthy and continue growing after the initial screening.
By creating a real-time communication link between community health workers and doctors in city centers, Sophia turns isolated efforts into connected systems of care, ensuring that no child is overlooked and every case receives timely, compassionate support.
The Global Malnutrition Crisis
Malnutrition is one of the most devastating and preventable threats to childhood. Worldwide, 45 million children under five suffer from wasting, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition, and another 150 million are chronically undernourished. These are futures at risk: undernutrition weakens immunity, slows growth, and limits a child’s ability to learn and thrive.
Even mild undernutrition can affect brain development and long-term potential, yet millions of cases are still missed until it is too late.
Malnutrition is rarely about food alone. Poverty, conflict, limited healthcare, and unsafe water create a cycle that passes hardship from one generation to the next. Strengthening nutrition and early detection is not only lifesaving, it is an investment in human potential and a more stable, resilient future.
Why We Began in Afghanistan
Afghanistan stands at the center of this global challenge.
In 2025, 3.4 million Afghan children under five faced acute malnutrition, and nearly half will experience chronic undernutrition. Many live in rural or remote areas where healthcare is limited and early detection tools are scarce.
Yet Afghanistan also holds remarkable strengths: widespread mobile connectivity, committed pediatricians and health workers, and strong local partnerships.
By beginning our work here, we are building a solution that is rooted in the realities of Afghanistan but scalable to other countries facing similar challenges.
Our work shows that even in complex environments, technology guided by compassion can make lifesaving care more accessible and create impact far beyond borders.
A Future Where Every Child Is Seen and Supported
Earlier Detection
and treatment of malnutrition, including moderate cases that are often missed
Stronger Links
between community health workers and pediatricians through connected mobile tools
Smarter Data
to guide policy, training, and resource allocation at local and national levels
Empowered Families
equipped with continuous nutrition education and support through the app
Scalable Technology
that adapts to new countries, languages, and child health challenges worldwide
Join Us in Transforming Child Health
Sophia is more than an app, it is a global effort to bring early detection and compassionate care to every child, everywhere. We welcome collaboration from researchers, engineers, clinicians, policymakers, and humanitarian partners who share our vision of responsible, human-centered innovation.