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WHO urges Nigeria to adopt AI in disease surveillance

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged Nigerian authorities to harness artificial intelligence (AI) in disease surveillance.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Fifth Annual Disease Surveillance Review Meeting (ADSRM), organized by the Nigerian Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), WHO Representative in Nigeria, Walter Mulombo , highlighted the need to integrate AI into pandemic preparedness and response.

According to Mulombo, Nigeria can improve its ability to detect, prevent and respond to public health emergencies by adopting AI in its disease surveillance.

He explained that the goal of AI integration is to contribute to the reduction of morbidity, mortality, disability and socioeconomic disruption due to disease outbreaks and other health emergencies in the WHO African Region.

Mulombo added that “AI has the potential to revolutionize global health security by enabling more proactive and data-driven approaches to health threats.”

However, he said some of the challenges and ethical considerations include data privacy and security, and the ethical development and deployment of AI.

One Health Approach

Mulombo further advocated for a collaborative surveillance approach, integrating human, animal and environmental interfaces within the One Health framework.

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The One Health approach is a collaborative strategy that recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health. Its objective is to address the complex relationships between these sectors to prevent, detect and respond to health threats.

The WHO Country Director emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to disease surveillance, going beyond the health ministry.

By adopting this approach, he explained that Nigeria can rethink its surveillance interventions and better address the root causes of disease outbreaks.

This is particularly important as many infectious diseases originate in animals and the environment. The One Health strategy has already been launched in Nigeria, and a national plan has been in place since 2019.

Funding challenge

Mulombo also identified funding as a major challenge in disease surveillance, emphasizing the need for both national and international support to meet the 2030 targets.

According to him, funding is a major obstacle for countries, including Nigeria, to achieve global health goals by 2030, something that was also highlighted at the recent UN General Assembly in September.

He noted that to address this, financial intermediary funds have been established to complement domestic financing, particularly for low- and middle-income countries, allowing them to detect, prepare for and respond to health emergencies.

He noted that Nigeria's challenges are not unique and that no country was prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that effective investment of available resources is crucial, prioritizing grassroots levels and local governments.

The Director General of the NCDC speaks

In his remarks at the meeting, the Director General of NCDC, Jide Idris, noted that global health security is a daily commitment to protect and prepare all communities in Nigeria.

Idris said true health security begins at the grassroots level: in cities, towns and neighborhoods.

“Every case prevented, every life saved locally, strengthens the health security of our entire nation and, indeed, the world,” he said.

Disease surveillance meeting.

The ADSRM event, with the theme: “Strengthening global health security through improved disease surveillance”, is scheduled to take place from October 28 to 30 in Lagos.

According to NCDC Director of Surveillance and Epidemiology Fatima Saleh, the ADSRM is an annual event where NCDC hosts a network of state epidemiologists and other frontline workers.

Saleh said the ADSRM was carried out in 2016 and subsequently in 2017, 2018 and 2022. “It is a unique health strategy that involves critical stakeholders from government ministries, departments and agencies.”

According to Ms. Saleh, the meeting aims to review and update stakeholders on surveillance activities in Nigeria in the previous years to improve identified gaps and challenges.

He added that the expected result is that participants have “a better understanding of the challenges that each state faces in terms of surveillance activities and operations, as well as the proposal of solutions.”

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