{"id":400508,"date":"2025-10-29T14:03:33","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T18:03:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/yfile\/?p=400508"},"modified":"2025-10-29T14:03:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T18:03:38","slug":"york-researchers-lead-ai-initiative-to-change-future-of-global-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/yfile\/2025\/10\/29\/york-researchers-lead-ai-initiative-to-change-future-of-global-health\/","title":{"rendered":"York researchers lead AI initiative to change future of global health\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If a child in Ethiopia was showing early signs of polio, a health worker would once have to send samples to a distant lab, wait for test results and then notify public health authorities.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Those delays increase the risk of lost lives and allow the disease to spread. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, disease surveillance can happen instantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Polio Antenna app, developed for real-time monitoring of polio, is being used by health institutions in Ethiopia to flag cases, access interventions and allocate resources quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That effort is part of an initiative co-ordinated by 快播视频\u2019s Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Artificial Intelligence for Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Response network (AI4PEP<\/a>) is using the power of AI, local expertise and international collaboration to improve health outcomes and prevent outbreaks, particularly in the Global South.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018\u2019We\u2019re not just deploying technology, we\u2019re democratizing it,\u201d says Jude Kong, executive director of AI4PEP and former 快播视频 professor. \u201cWhen community health workers in Ethiopia have the same AI-driven tool as researchers in Canada, that\u2019s when we start to see real equity in global health. AI4PEP is proud to be building bridges between institutions, policymakers and communities to co-create AI solutions tailored to their needs.\u2019\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This initiative is more than a tech project; it\u2019s about justice, inclusion and smarter science. And, 快播视频 is right at the heart of it. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Emmanuel Musa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cThis professional, world-class group of researchers are working together to drive AI-powered innovations in global health,\u201d says Emmanuel Musa<\/strong>, a community fellow at the Dahdaleh Institute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Musa says the goal is to ensure communities around the world, especially in the regions most affected by health inequities, have the tools to detect, respond to and stop outbreaks before they become global crises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Launched in 2022 with funding from the International Development Research Centre, AI4PEP is built on a simple idea: the places most at risk from infectious disease outbreaks \u2013 which often involve lower-income countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean \u2013 deserve equal footing in the global response.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Musa says it means more than receiving aid; it\u2019s about leading solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

York\u2019s Keele Campus serves as the secretariat and administrative hub of the network, co-ordinating with research hubs across underserved regions that each tackle disease surveillance and preparedness with AI tools.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than pushing a top-down model, local researchers, communities and values inform the work every step of the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe network supports projects that use AI to improve things like early warning systems, disease modelling and community health surveillance with a deep focus on context and fairness,\u201d says Musa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like the hub in Ethiopia working to prevent polio outbreaks, he says there is a team in the Philippines working with Indigenous communities to develop culturally appropriate outbreak response tools.\u00a0In South Africa, a team of scientists are using sensors powered by AI to detect high levels of air pollution, while another team works to integrate climate, air quality and hospital data to help monitor respiratory disease patterns in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, 20 research hubs across the Global South have received funding, with more on the way, Musa says. York, he adds, is uniquely suited to being the \u201cbackbone\u201d of the operation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With expertise from the Dahdaleh Institute, the University provides leadership, research expertise, grant support and capacity building for strong partnerships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps most importantly, York is shaping the ethical and decolonial foundation of AI4PEP. That means ensuring the work reflects values like inclusivity, gender equity and respect for local knowledge, not just technological ambition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are going to continue to be a catalyst in this area of innovation and solutions, and we envision expanding our network,\u201d says Musa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coming years will see more regional hubs, deeper partnerships with governments and health agencies, a focus on translating research into policy and practice, and scaling the AI-powered solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also plans to expand training programs to build the next generation of AI-literate public health leaders in the Global South. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As AI4PEP is gaining momentum, it is receiving global recognition. The network has presented at major international forums including the United Nations General Assembly Science Summit and at the World Health Organization\u2019s 2025 Global Conference on Climate and Health.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are expanding our reach,\u201d Musa says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the big-picture goal remains clear: to build resilient, just and inclusive health systems that can withstand climate change, epidemics and pandemics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about the project, visit www.ai4pep.org<\/a> or watch the video below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With files from Karen Martin-Robbins<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n