Varsity develops software for early detection of diabetes, breast cancer

The Federal University Dutse (FUD) in Jigawa State has developed a software application for the early detection of diabetes and breast cancer.

This was contained in a statement issued, signed, and made available to our correspondent in Dutse, the state capital, by the head of public affairs of the university, Malam Abdullahi Yahaya Bello, reports Nigerian Tribune.

According to the statement, “A staff member of the Federal University Dutse, Dr. Salihu Ibrahim, Head of the Department of Medical Biochemistry, has developed a software application for the early detection of diabetes and breast cancer.”

The head of public affairs noted that “Ibrahim, a renowned phyto-medicine researcher, said diabetes and breast cancer are major diseases ravaging Nigeria and Africa.”

Abdullahi Yahaya Bello added that the researcher is interested in finding ways to mitigate the scourge because “currently, almost 70% of diabetic patients in Africa are unaware of their condition, and they often discover it accidentally.”

The statement further stated that, “Dr Salihu Ibrahim said since almost everyone has a mobile phone, I felt I could develop an application software to help people identify their risk level, adding that the software will not prescribe medication; instead, it will assess whether users are at high, medium, or low risk and advise them to seek medical intervention.”

“Dr Ibrahim said this software will be more beneficial, especially for people living in rural areas, because they can quickly assess their risk levels from the comfort of their homes, rather than waiting for extended periods to see a doctor.”

Bello maintained that, “On the breast cancer detection app, the researcher said the idea came to him during an Innovation Hub training sponsored by the university, and in the end, participants were mandated to develop a project. He added that he focused on breast cancer because it is one of the problems affecting our immediate communities.”

He said the breast cancer software application will guide even women who do not have higher education because “the application is very simple and it’s more of a pictorial,” adding that the application has already been licenced with the Nigerian Copyright Commission, and he is sure the university will also benefit from it.

Dr Ibrahim said the applications have not been uploaded to the Play Store because “in order to be available on the Play Store, they need to be commercialised and allow interested parties to invest in the idea.”