What We Know So Far: Artificial Intelligence in African Healthcare

• Main Authors: Etori, Naome, Temesgen, Ebasa, Gini, Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 10-05-2023
• Subjects: Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence; Computer Science - Computers and Society
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2305.18302

Healthcare in Africa is a complex issue influenced by many factors including
poverty, lack of infrastructure, and inadequate funding. However, Artificial
intelligence (AI) applied to healthcare, has the potential to transform
healthcare in Africa by improving the accuracy and efficiency of diagnosis,
enabling earlier detection of diseases, and supporting the delivery of
personalized medicine. This paper reviews the current state of how AI
Algorithms can be used to improve diagnostics, treatment, and disease
monitoring, as well as how AI can be used to improve access to healthcare in
Africa as a low-resource setting and discusses some of the critical challenges
and opportunities for its adoption. As such, there is a need for a
well-coordinated effort by the governments, private sector, healthcare
providers, and international organizations to create sustainable AI solutions
that meet the unique needs of the African healthcare system.