NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Global health officials emphasized the importance of a country-led approach to the use of artificial intelligence in disease eradication at a United Nations General Assembly event held in New York. The gathering brought together health ministers, funders, diagnostics leaders, and public health specialists. The Global Institute for Disease Elimination, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, and Nigeria’s government jointly organized the meeting. Attendees discussed how AI can enhance disease surveillance, support healthcare decision-making, and allocate limited resources more effectively toward urgent needs.
Michael Adekunle Charles, CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, spoke on behalf of Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate. His remarks highlighted the importance of national control over decisions related to adopting new health technologies. Nigeria is also actively implementing 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 conditions should steer the deployment of AI tools.
Discussions centered on the infrastructure necessary to expand AI usage within public health frameworks. Topics included data systems, workforce development, health system integration, and financing mechanisms for sustainable programs. The latest World Health Organization malaria assessment estimated 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths globally in 2024. The WHO African Region continues to bear the largest share of the disease burden. Nigeria reported the highest estimated number of malaria cases among countries in this region.
Training initiatives in AI aim to empower public health leaders
GLIDE announced two new AI training programs directed at national program managers and public health professionals. The GLIDE Leadership Excellence in AI for Health program targets senior health decision-makers and will take place in Abu Dhabi from January 17 to 22, 2027. The initial residential cohort will consist of 25 to 30 participants. The focus of this program is on AI governance, deployment strategies, institutional readiness, and accountability, rather than instructing participants on building AI models.
Another initiative, AI for All, was created by Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and customized with GLIDE for public health professionals. This online course features four modules and does not require coding skills or technical background. Its curriculum covers AI fundamentals, generative AI tools, issues of bias, privacy, accountability, and human oversight. The course aims to equip health professionals with practical skills to assess and implement AI in their organizations.
GLIDE and RBM formalize collaboration to combat malaria
During the New York event, GLIDE and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria also signed a letter of mutual understanding. This framework connects technical expertise, AI innovation, and capacity-building initiatives with national priorities for malaria control and elimination. Its purpose is to support country-led efforts in combating malaria. The partnership also aligns with the World Health Organization’s Global Technical Strategy for Malaria, which aims to reduce cases and fatalities through 2030.
Participants additionally explored the potential of AI to address malaria, polio, and neglected tropical diseases amid tightening health and humanitarian budgets. The focus was on improving surveillance, enabling more targeted interventions, and optimizing resource use. The organizers emphasized that decisions on technology adoption and implementation should be led by national health authorities. The initiative announced during the UN gathering prioritizes a combination of training, technical cooperation, and country-level leadership as the main pillars of its strategy.