Enhancing the impact of artificial intelligence for global health through knowledge sharing and translation

Despite the rapid development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in low- and lower-middle-income countries to address global health challenges, the limited sharing of lessons learned reduces the chances for success of subsequent innovations. Currently, there are few incentives and channels for these researchers, implementers, and decision-makers to share, learn and improve from their collective experiences. Moreover, opportunities to debate and discuss critical issues of gender equality, inclusion, responsible governance mechanisms and commercialization of AI solutions to improve global health are often led by Northern institutions and seldom done in a contextually appropriate manner.  

Responding to these challenges, this project supports knowledge networking, synthesis and translation across a suite of implementation research projects supported by IDRC’s AI for Global Health (AI4GH) initiative. Specifically, it will facilitate knowledge transfer between research projects and with wider global research communities, foster greater evidence generation, strengthen research capacities, broaden the visibility and dissemination of results, and support processes and products to influence policies and practices.

These projects, led by Southern researchers, are designed to explore how responsible AI solutions can improve sexual, reproductive and maternal health outcomes and strengthen prevention, preparedness and response to epidemics and pandemics. Using existing decentralized platforms led by Southern thought leaders, the project aims to strengthen capacities, harvest outcomes and lessons, and develop products to influence discourse, debates, practices and scholarship.