In a move to bolster Nigeria’s pandemic preparedness, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called on the country to leverage the power of artificial intelligence (AI) in its disease surveillance efforts.
Speaking at the opening of the 5th Annual Disease Surveillance Review Meeting (ADSRM) organized by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), WHO Country Representative for Nigeria, Walter Mulombo, emphasized the transformative potential of AI integration.
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“AI has the potential to revolutionize global health security by enabling more proactive, data-driven approaches to health threats,” Mulombo said.
He explained that the adoption of AI in disease surveillance can significantly enhance Nigeria’s ability to detect, prevent, and respond to public health emergencies.
Mulombo acknowledged that the integration of AI also comes with challenges and ethical considerations, including data privacy, security, and the responsible development and deployment of AI systems.
The WHO Country Director further urged Nigeria to embrace the One Health approach, a collaborative strategy that recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. This holistic framework, he said, can enable the country to better address the root causes of disease outbreaks.
“By adopting this approach, Nigeria can rethink its surveillance interventions and better address the complex relationships between these sectors to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats,” Mulombo explained.
Mulombo identified funding as a major challenge in disease surveillance, stressing the need for both domestic and international support to meet the 2030 global health targets.
He noted that financial intermediary funds have been established to supplement domestic funding, particularly for low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria.
“Effective investment of available resources is crucial, prioritizing grassroots levels and local governments,” Mulombo said, acknowledging that Nigeria’s challenges are not unique and that no country was fully prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his remarks, the Director-General of NCDC, Jide Idris, echoed the importance of a grassroots approach to health security.
“True health security begins at the grassroots level – in towns, villages, and neighborhoods. Every case prevented, every life saved at the local level, strengthens the health security of our entire nation and, indeed, of the world,” Idris said.
The ADSRM event, themed “Strengthening Global Health Security Through Enhanced Disease Surveillance,” is scheduled to be held from October 28 to 30 in Lagos.
The annual meeting brings together state epidemiologists and other frontline workers to review and update surveillance activities, identify gaps, and propose solutions.
