NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Global health officials emphasized the importance of a country-led approach to using artificial intelligence for disease elimination during a session at the UN General Assembly in New York. This gathering assembled health ministers, funders, diagnostics experts, and public health professionals. The Global Institute for Disease Elimination, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, and Nigeria’s government jointly hosted the event. Attendees discussed how AI can enhance disease monitoring, inform health decisions, and allocate scarce resources more effectively.
Michael Adekunle Charles, CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, addressed the gathering on behalf of Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate. His remarks underscored the necessity for nations to retain control over decisions regarding the adoption of new technologies within their health systems. Nigeria is currently rolling out its Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which focuses on primary healthcare and domestic health financing. Participants agreed that national priorities, health system capacity, and local circumstances should shape the deployment of AI tools.
Discussions also covered the infrastructure required to expand AI’s role in public health, including data management systems, workforce development, health system integration, and sustainable financing. The latest WHO malaria assessment projected 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths globally in 2024, with the WHO African Region bearing the majority of the burden. Nigeria was identified as having the highest estimated number of malaria cases among countries within this region.
Training programs in AI are designed for public health leaders
GLIDE announced two initiatives aimed at enhancing AI skills among national program managers and health professionals. The GLIDE Leadership Excellence in AI for Health program targets senior decision-makers and is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi from January 17 to 22, 2027. The first residential cohort will consist of 25 to 30 participants, focusing on AI governance, deployment, institutional readiness, and accountability, rather than on developing AI models themselves.
Another initiative, AI for All, was created by Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and adapted with GLIDE to suit public health professionals. This online course includes four modules, requiring no coding or technical background. It covers AI fundamentals, generative AI tools, bias, privacy, accountability, and human oversight, equipping health workers with practical skills to evaluate and implement AI solutions within their organizations.
Partnerships between GLIDE and RBM solidify malaria-focused collaboration
During the New York session, GLIDE and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria signed a letter of mutual understanding. This agreement links technical expertise, AI innovation, and capacity-building initiatives with national malaria priorities, emphasizing country-led efforts for control and elimination. It aligns with the WHO’s Global Technical Strategy for Malaria, which aims to reduce malaria cases and deaths worldwide through 2030.
Participants also addressed AI’s potential in combating malaria, polio, and neglected tropical diseases amid tightening health and humanitarian budgets. The focus was on improving surveillance, targeting interventions more precisely, and optimizing resource use. The organizers stressed that national health authorities should lead decisions regarding the adoption and deployment of new technologies. The main themes of the initiative unveiled at the UN gathering included training, technical cooperation, and strengthening country leadership.