Global collaboration leverages AI to address knowledge and access barriers in India, Indonesia, and Thailand
BOSTON, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nivi, Inc., a digital health innovator specializing in personalized healthcare guidance and consumer insights, and MSD (known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC in the United States and Canada, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA) today announced a global initiative to enhance consumer awareness of HPV diseases and HPV-related cervical cancer prevention across emerging markets, beginning with India, Indonesia, and Thailand.
The collaboration will deploy Nivi's proven conversational AI platform — which has already engaged 2.5 million users with personalized health guidance — to deliver localized educational content and prevention guidance. Users can receive personalized HPV risk assessments, get their questions answered in their local language, and receive referrals to nearby vaccination and screening services through rich messaging (e.g. WhatsApp) conversations. The initiative aims to address critical knowledge gaps and access barriers that prevent millions in countries with the highest burden of cervical cancer from accessing information about HPV and disease prevention methods.
"We're proud to be working with Nivi on this groundbreaking approach to addressing the significant public health burden of HPV-related cervical cancers," said Dr. Priya Agrawal, Vice President of Health Equity and Partnerships at MSD. "By leveraging patient-facing AI solutions, we're not just expanding market opportunities — we're strengthening how we engage with and empower individuals in their healthcare journey. Nivi's platform will help us bridge the critical gap between available prevention tools and the communities that need them most, particularly in markets where traditional healthcare education channels may not reach everyone effectively."
Unlike one-size-fits-all digital health tools, Nivi's platform generates real-time consumer behavior insights while achieving engagement rates as high as 90% through its combination of AI personalization and trusted local healthcare partnerships. Through the collaboration, Nivi will provide personalized educational content about HPV-related diseases and prevention measures while generating actionable consumer behavior insights to inform MSD's global health equity strategies.
"Our collaboration with MSD validates the value of AI in democratizing access to critical health information and services," said Siddhartha Goyal, CEO of Nivi, Inc. "By combining our expertise in data-driven consumer engagement with MSD's leadership in HPV scientific education, we're creating a new paradigm for how pharmaceutical companies can directly support and understand patient needs in emerging markets. This collaboration will enable us to reach millions with personalized, actionable health guidance while providing MSD with enhanced insights into consumer health-seeking behaviors."
The collaboration leverages Nivi's proven multi-channel engagement model, which has successfully reached over 2.5 million users across emerging markets. By combining digital outreach through social media and WhatsApp with on-ground partnerships through trusted community partners — including health workers and local pharmacies — Nivi complements MSD's efforts to help more people access the information and services needed to help prevent cervical cancer.
The collaboration addresses a significant public health crisis across these markets. India bears the world's highest cervical cancer burden, with 127,526 new cases and 79,906 deaths in 2022, and mortality rates 58% higher than the global average. Indonesia faces critical prevention gaps, with screening participation below 10%. Thailand, despite achieving 50-70% screening coverage, still experiences substantial disease burden. Regional projections indicate cervical cancer cases and deaths will increase by over 40% and 60% respectively by 2040 without intervention.
The World Health Organization has set ambitious targets to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem, requiring 90% of girls to be fully vaccinated with HPV vaccine by age 15. This collaboration directly supports these global health objectives by addressing information asymmetry and improving vaccine confidence in key markets.
The initial rollout of the platform — prior to the collaboration with MSD — began in September 2025 in India, Indonesia, and Thailand. Future expansion to additional markets will be based on program success and impact metrics.
About Nivi, Inc.
Nivi is a digital health company leveraging conversational AI to expand equitable access to essential health services across emerging markets. Since 2016, Nivi's chat-based platform has engaged 2.5 million users in Asia and Africa across reproductive health, maternal and child health, vaccines, and chronic disease management—delivering personalized health guidance, provider connections, and actionable market insights to healthcare organizations and pharmaceutical partners. For more information, please visit nivi.io.
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SOURCE Nivi, Inc.
