…Calls for responsible use of AI to tackle emerging public health threats

The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has emphasized the need to increase domestic investment in health research in the country and embrace artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly to strengthen its capacity to respond to emerging and persistent public health threats.

Executive Director of the IHVN International Research Centre of Excellence, Prof Alsh’le Abimiku, made the call ahead of the 4th annual Scientific Symposium of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), where researchers, policymakers, industry players.

and community representatives are expected to deliberate on the future of health research amid declining international funding and rapid advances in AI.

She noted that Nigeria can no longer afford to rely heavily on external funding to sustain its research and public health programmes and urged the government to establish mechanisms for supporting researchers locally, warning that a prolonged funding gap could weaken the country’s scientific capacity.

Abimiku cited South Africa as an example, noting that its government-backed medical research system responded to reductions in external funding by making domestic resources available to researchers through competitive grants.

She observed that the symposium billed for August 31st to September 1st is coming at a critical time, following reductions in international funding for public health UK programmes, including support from major global health initiatives.

Abimiku stressed the need for greater domestic investment, stronger partnerships with industry and government, and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) to sustain health research and innovations.

Abimiku stated that the symposium with the theme, “Shaping the Future of Public Health Research through Sustainable Funding, Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning (AI/ML) and Innovation”, will also examine the growing role of AI in scientific research and public health. Researchers are expected to discuss how AI can accelerate data analysis, improve productivity and help governments make better use of the vast quantities of health data available to them.

She pointed out that participants will also examine the ethical risks associated with the technology, particularly the protection of personal information and the possibility that excessive reliance on AI could undermine scientific creativity and innovation.

Adding will discuss how advances in AI/ML can provide tangible solutions to everyday public health services and research for a more sustainable and efficient Nigeria that contributes meaningfully to the global health programme.

The organisers stressed that researchers must learn to use AI as a tool rather than allow it to replace critical thinking, experimentation and discovery.

According to her, the meeting will bring together policymakers, researchers, industry representatives and communities to discuss how Nigeria can build a more sustainable and self-reliant health system while particular attention is expected to be given to disease outbreaks, vaccine development, clinical trials, local manufacturing and the use of data science to address public health challenges.

Abimiku also highlighted the importance of strengthening Nigeria’s preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks such as Ebola, Lassa fever and cholera, noting that reduced international funding does not mean that disease threats have disappeared.

She said the country’s response to Lassa fever, in particular, requires a combination of public education, behavioural change and scientific innovation.

Abimiku stated that while measures such as discouraging the drying of grains on roadsides can reduce exposure to rodents that transmit Lassa fever, behavioural change remains difficult without providing communities with practical alternatives.

She emphasized that the long-term goal should include the development of an effective Lassa fever vaccine capable of helping to eliminate the disease across West Africa.
Abimiku explained that AI could, for example, analyse available information to identify communities that were particularly affected by previous outbreaks or disasters adding that such information could help governments determine where interventions and resources are likely to have the greatest impact during future emergencies.

She also highlighted the importance of data quality, stressing that sophisticated AI systems are only as useful as the information on which they are trained. If some communities consistently fail to report health data, the resulting analysis could present a distorted picture of where a disease is concentrated.

Abimiku, who cited COVID-19 data, noted that if some states reported extensively while others provided little or no information, the resulting national picture could wrongly suggest that some areas were unaffected.
She observed that Data could also help identify communities with low acceptance of vaccination, allowing authorities to focus on education and engagement before an outbreak occurs.
Also speaking, the Head of Department (HOD), Molecular Diagnostics, IRCE, IHVN, Dr James Onyemata, who highlighted Nigeria’s contribution to the international effort to develop an effective HIV vaccine, noted that for many years, African representation in vaccine research has not adequately reflected the diversity of viruses circulating on the continent, particularly in West Africa.