NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Global health officials gathered in Dubai to promote the adoption of artificial intelligence led by countries themselves as a key approach to eliminate diseases. The event assembled ministers, public health specialists, funders, and diagnostics experts. The Global Institute for Disease Elimination, known as GLIDE, co-hosted the gathering with the RBM Partnership to End Malaria and Nigeria. Key topics included disease surveillance, health planning, resource distribution, and the prerequisites for ethical AI deployment.
Attendees emphasized that governments should steer decisions on how health systems adopt and oversee AI tools. Michael Adekunle Charles, CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, spoke on behalf of Nigeria’s health minister, Muhammad Ali Pate. Nigeria is actively pursuing its Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, which targets primary healthcare, healthcare funding, workforce enhancement, and improved data infrastructure. The importance of aligning new technological solutions with existing national health priorities was also underlined by the participants.
The discussion highlighted practical necessities for expanding AI use in disease control efforts. Reliable data, trained healthcare personnel, sustainable funding, and seamless integration with current systems were identified as essential. Malaria remains a primary concern for global health agencies; the World Health Organization estimates there were 282 million cases worldwide in 2024, resulting in 610,000 deaths. The WHO African Region bore the majority of this burden, with Nigeria recording the highest estimated malaria case count.
New AI Initiatives Emphasize Leadership in Public Health
GLIDE unveiled two training initiatives aimed at bolstering public health leaders’ understanding of artificial intelligence. Its GLIDE Leadership Excellence in AI for Health program will bring senior decision-makers to Abu Dhabi from January 17 to 22, 2027. The initial residential cohort is expected to include 25 to 30 participants. The curriculum will address AI governance, institutional preparedness, deployment strategies, and accountability measures. The program specifically targets officials responsible for health policy and national disease programs.
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence developed a second initiative, AI for All, in collaboration with GLIDE. This online course is designed for public health professionals, comprising four modules that do not require coding skills. Topics include fundamental AI concepts, generative AI, bias, privacy, accountability, and human oversight. The course provides health professionals with foundational knowledge to evaluate AI tools used in public health and guides how organizations can assess new technologies before integrating them into routine operations.
Malaria Control Efforts Strengthen with Technical Collaboration
During the New York summit, GLIDE and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria formalized their collaboration through a letter of mutual understanding. This agreement aims to combine technical expertise, innovation, and capacity-building efforts with national malaria priorities, fostering country-led malaria elimination strategies. The partnership also supports the WHO’s Global Technical Strategy for Malaria, which directs international initiatives to reduce malaria cases and fatalities through 2030, emphasizing surveillance and health system strengthening.
The broader discussion also included polio and neglected tropical diseases alongside malaria. Participants explored how AI can enhance surveillance, inform program decision-making, and optimize resource use. The event kept national health authorities at the forefront of technological decision-making. Organizers stressed the importance of training and building institutional capacity as countries evaluate new digital solutions. The initiatives announced in New York linked AI education, technical cooperation, and national leadership with ongoing efforts to eradicate preventable infectious diseases.