Title: From Doorstep to Diagnosis – A Community Lung Health Initiative in Nalasopara East
Organization Partners: PinkTree Foundation and Make A Difference (MAD)
Location: Rashid Compound, Dhaniy Baug, Nalasopara East, Mumbai
In Mumbai's informal settlements, respiratory symptoms like cough and breathlessness are often seen as normal. Residents accept them as part of daily life rather than treatable conditions. By the time a person reaches an emergency room, irreversible lung damage may have already occurred.
At Rashid Compound, the situation was severe. Open waste burning, factory proximity, daily indoor smoke from mosquito coils and incense, and visible mold on walls created a toxic environment. Yet no systematic lung health screening had ever reached this community.
PinkTree Foundation partnered with MAD to bring preventive lung health screening directly to the community. PinkTree provided AI-enabled vocal biomarker technology, requiring only a six-second voice sample. MAD provided deep community trust and on-ground mobilization.
The camp combined awareness sessions on air quality and respiratory health with voice-based AI screening and immediate risk feedback. High-risk individuals were guided to nearby chest physicians for follow-up care.
Fifty-six community members were screened. Seventy percent received their first-ever lung health status. Eighty-seven percent had never undergone any professional lung check-up before.
Key findings among participants:
Over 60 percent reported persistent cough, breathlessness, or chest tightness
84 percent used mosquito coils or incense daily in poorly ventilated spaces
75 percent reported visible mold on walls
54 percent smelled burning garbage inside their homes daily
One in three households reported children frequently falling sick or coughing
High-risk cases were referred to physicians. Elderly residents received their first lung function data after decades of exposure. Children were screened early to prevent chronic conditions from developing.
This pilot proved that when cost, distance, and stigma are removed, people choose preventive health. The plan moving forward includes three actions: replicate the partnership in ten more high-risk compounds by 2026, integrate participants into the PinkTree App for ongoing monitoring, and train local youth as Lung Health Champions to sustain awareness.
Clean air should not depend on a postal code. Traditional healthcare waits for a crisis. This partnership proved that early detection at the doorstep is possible, scalable, and an act of social justice.