By Sola Ogundipe
Industry leaders, policymakers, health experts, development partners, donor agencies, civil society organizations and other stakeholders are set to give insight towards improving Nigeria’s healthcare system, as the Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF) convenes a fireside chat on using Artificial Intelligence and Tech to drive vaccine uptake in the country.
The event which is part 1 of the NSSF’s roundtable agenda on Innovating for Healthcare in Africa is titled “Using AI and Tech to Drive Vaccine Uptake” is billed to hold on Thursday 29 February, 2024.
Among speakers at the event themed: “Digitizing Healthcare in Africa: Lessons learnt from the Field”, are the Commissioner for Health and Human Services in Ekiti State, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, the Director –General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, and the CEO of Epid Alert, Dr. Lawal Bakare.
Others are Founder, Medically Speaking Services/Executive Director of SMILE WITH Me Foundation, Dr. Chioma Nwakanma-Akanno (aka Dr Zobo), the Principal Data Scientist at Causal Foundry, Dr Ana Fernández del Río, and the Strategy Advisor, CDC, Cyril Seck. The event will be moderated by Dr. Ayodele Renner (The Noisy Naija Pediatrician).
In a statement, the MD/CEO, NSSF, Dr Fejiro Chinye-Nwoko, said the Innovating for Healthcare in Africa is a three-part series, hosted by NSSF, each with topics that highlight the need to drive systemic change and sustainable impact by increasing Africa’s capacity for innovation in healthcare, with a primary focus on vaccination.
Chinye-Nwoko noted that the objective was to provide a platform to highlight and discuss healthcare and immunization service performance with key state-level health policymakers.
Others are to facilitate discussions between the public and policymakers on the state of healthcare provision in the states; share lessons on innovations in Artificial Intelligence and Technological advancements to promote vaccine service delivery, coordination, logistics, and monitoring; examine the obstacles impeding Africa’s Healthcare system and identify creative paths for innovation to build a new immunization culture, and examine the existing data on routine immunizations, successes, challenges, and innovations.
Among the intended outcomes include strengthened accountability of policymakers; improved primary healthcare services; align key stakeholders and vaccine leaders on a collaborative and forward-thinking approach to expanding and scaling access to vaccines in Africa, and expansion of creative solutions that improve access and quality of healthcare delivery for Africans.
Further, Chinye-Nwoko said: “Digital technologies are transforming the way we envision healthcare, making services more obtainable, effective, and patient-centered. As the world advances in an Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution, the advantages of these innovations must reach every part of the globe, especially Africa.
“Vaccination is one of the most impactful and cost-efficient public health interventions known to prevent mortality and reduce morbidity and despite increased global vaccination coverage, Africa is still lagging.
“This is due in part to the low vaccine production rate on the continent itself. Currently, there are less than 10 African manufacturers in vaccine production, and they are based in five countries: Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia. The low production rates have adversely limited the propensity of widespread vaccine adoption in African regions.”
She noted that about 1 in 5 African children do not receive all the necessary and basic vaccines. Hence, every year, over 30 million children under five still suffer from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs).
“There is therefore an urgent need for African countries to develop strategies that effectively address these limitations in vaccination uptake and coverage to achieve a reduction of VPDs. In the face of global health challenges, the imperative for self-sufficiency in vaccine production has become increasingly apparent, especially in the region of Africa with unique healthcare needs. AI plays a crucial role in transforming vaccine production by leveraging advanced analytics, predictive modeling, and adaptive manufacturing.
“These applications not only accelerate the development process but also contribute to the creation of more effective and tailor-made vaccines for the unique challenges faced by African communities. This discussion will delve into the intersection of AI and vaccine production, the current obstacles faced by the continent, and the potential of AI to transform the process.”
Source: Vanguard