The Managing Director at Delft Imaging is recognized for advancing diagnostic innovation in maternal health and tuberculosis in underserved settings.
Florent Geerts, Managing Director of Delft Imaging, has been named to TIME’s 2026 TIME100 Health list, which honors the world’s most influential people shaping the future of global health.
The annual TIME100 Health list recognizes leaders, innovators, and pioneers whose work is driving measurable progress in health outcomes worldwide. As health systems face mounting pressure from infectious diseases, workforce shortages, and inequities in access to care, those selected are advancing innovation with real-world impact.
Geerts’s inclusion recognizes his leadership in advancing Delft Imaging’s mission to make high-quality diagnostics accessible worldwide, particularly in low-resource and hard-to-reach settings. Under his guidance, the organization focuses on developing practical, frontline-ready digital tools that support earlier detection and better clinical decision-making.
Reducing maternal risk through frontline innovation
Maternal mortality remains one of the most urgent global health challenges. A woman dies from pregnancy-related causes roughly every two minutes, with around 70 percent of these deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, according to UNICEF.
To help close this gap, Delft Imaging developed BabyChecker, a smartphone-based, AI-guided obstetric ultrasound solution designed for frontline health workers. Using a simple six-sweep protocol across the abdomen, BabyChecker enables health workers with minimal training to identify high-risk pregnancies earlier and refer women for timely care.
The solution operates offline, making it suitable for settings where reliable electricity is unavailable or limited. In countries from Ethiopia to Sierra Leone, antenatal screening is being brought closer to the point of care, reducing reliance on overstretched referral systems.
Advancing earlier detection for tuberculosis
Alongside its work in maternal health, Delft Imaging is widely known for advancing earlier detection and more efficient screening for tuberculosis (TB), the world’s deadliest infectious disease.
Under Geerts’s leadership, the organization has moved toward a more integrated approach that connects diagnostic innovation with broader health system needs, including surveillance and data-informed screening strategies.
Leadership rooted in collaboration
Despite the global recognition, Geerts emphasizes that progress in healthcare is always collective.
“I am honored to be included in the 2026 TIME100 Health list. This recognition reflects the work being done in point-of-care ultrasound and artificial intelligence, and the real-world impact these tools can have in making pregnancies safer and improving lung health.
“I share this recognition with our team at Delft Imaging and with our partners around the world. Every day, around 700 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, and 1.2 million people lose their lives to tuberculosis. These are deaths that can, and should, be prevented.”
Geerts will join fellow honorees on Thursday, 19 February 2026 in New York City for the TIME100 Health Impact Dinner: Leaders Shaping the Future of Health.
