Daijiworld Media Network – Geneva

Geneva, Jul 19: As the world was grappling with the aftermath of COVID-19, a sudden Mpox outbreak between 2022 and 2023 caught global health systems off guard. What began in remote villages and mining regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) soon spread to parts of Europe and Asia, marking a rare geographic expansion of the disease.

Mpox, a highly virulent and potentially fatal infection, remains a serious concern in endemic zones facing conflict, climate change, and weak health infrastructure. Rapid community-level testing and border surveillance remain critical to prevent cross-border transmission.

In a major technological leap, Rwanda deployed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed in collaboration with the government. This skin image detection AI is now helping frontline workers detect Mpox at border points with Uganda, Burundi, and DRC using mobile phones. The tool supplements molecular testing, allowing quicker containment and better protection for vulnerable groups.

This AI breakthrough is built on earlier efforts to combat diseases like tuberculosis using digital innovations funded by the Global Fund. Now, countries are being encouraged to expand these tools across other infectious diseases by leveraging existing systems at affordable costs.

However, experts say AI should not be viewed as a magic wand. “We need to match innovation with a country’s digital maturity and budget capacity,” said a Global Fund official. Instead of jumping to complex systems, a phased rollout—starting with basic applications like triage bots or medicine alerts—is seen as the most sustainable approach.

Advanced nations or those with interoperable health data systems may explore real-time outbreak forecasting, AI-driven diagnostics, or efficient healthcare workforce planning. But for lower-income countries, foundational support is essential. This includes concessional financing, public–private investment, and infrastructure like solar-powered data hubs and rural connectivity.

The Global Fund has laid out four core principles to guide AI adoption in health systems: assess readiness, phase ambitions, mandate public–private co-investment, and ensure national ownership at every stage.

With the right mix of infrastructure, ethics, and evidence-based deployment, AI holds the promise of smarter, more equitable healthcare systems that can withstand future pandemics.