Work

Artificial intelligence for Africa: bridge or barrier for infectious disease control?

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: •The promise of artificial intelligence (AI) for global health risks becoming a structural barrier in Africa if linguistic and cultural exclusions persist.•Dominant AI systems, trained on non-African languages, perform poorly in many local languages, widening health inequalities in infectious disease surveillance and control.•Locally developed, language-specific AI tools demonstrate superior performance in health communication compared with imported, non-contextualized models.•Creating effective AI for health in Africa requires investment in local data ecosystems, digital infrastructure, and participatory, epistemically just design.•Africa's linguistic diversity represents a strategic opportunity for innovation in cross-border disease surveillance and South-South technological collaboration.

Source: IJID Regions

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2026.100863

Authors: Francesco Branda, Ntuli A. Kapologwe

Institutions: Università Campus Bio-Medico, East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community

Language: English

Topic: Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education

Subfield: Health Informatics

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities, Partnerships for the goals

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,380