Maternal health: The ministry deploys AI-assisted prenatal ultrasound in Béni Mellal-Khénifra

AI analyzes images in real-time, identifies and automatically validates fetal anatomical structures. Pilot experiment: A pilot experiment of AI-assisted prenatal ultrasound has been launched in the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region. After conclusive results in 10 local health centers, this program is being extended to 40 additional centers with a view to progressive national generalization. The Ministry of Health and Social Protection has launched a pilot experiment of AI-assisted prenatal ultrasound in the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region. In rural areas, midwives and general practitioners provide prenatal care alone, in the absence of gynecologists or radiologists. The device put in place provides them with a portable probe connected to a tablet, which guides them step-by-step in performing seven standardized scans. The AI analyzes the images in real-time, identifies and automatically validates fetal anatomical structures — head, spine, heart, placenta, amniotic fluid — and automatically generates a digital medical report, systematically reviewed and validated by a doctor. The prenatal consultation sheet — formerly on paper — is now integrated into the application and feeds a centralized patient file accessible at each visit. 27 trained midwives are already using the device on a daily basis. Before the deployment of this device, pregnant women had to travel an average of 90 km to access an ultrasound. This program brings this examination right into their local center. It also changes referral practices: a majority of centers referred their patients to the hospital for lack of being able to distinguish locally between a normal pregnancy and a high-risk pregnancy. The device now makes it possible to significantly reduce these transfers, generating significant avoided costs for the health system and families, while freeing up hospital resources for cases that really need them. Pathologies such as pre-eclampsia, amniotic fluid abnormalities, or fetal heart rate irregularities can now be detected during a routine examination and refer the patient in a timely manner. More broadly, by making reliable screening accessible in each local center, this program contributes to ensuring that serious fetal malformations — detectable from the first trimester but invisible without an adapted tool — can be identified in time, giving families the time to be informed and accompanied with dignity. Building on these results, the Ministry of Health is extending the program to 40 additional centers, bringing the total to 50 establishments in the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region — a first step towards national generalization. Receive the latest news from Aujourd'hui Le Maroc directly on WhatsApp