NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Global health leaders called for countries to lead the adoption of artificial intelligence in efforts to eliminate diseases during a gathering at the UN General Assembly. The event assembled ministers, public health specialists, funders, and diagnostics experts. The Global Institute for Disease Elimination, known as GLIDE, co-hosted the meeting alongside the RBM Partnership to End Malaria and Nigeria. Key topics included disease surveillance, health system planning, resource management, and the prerequisites for responsible AI implementation.
Participants emphasized that government bodies should steer decisions on how health infrastructures incorporate and control 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 addresses primary healthcare, health financing, workforce training, and enhanced data systems. The discussion also underscored the importance of aligning emerging technologies with existing national health priorities.
The session explored practical necessities for scaling up AI application in disease control programs. Reliable data, skilled healthcare personnel, long-term financing, and system integration were identified as critical factors. Malaria remains a focal point for global health initiatives. According to World Health Organization estimates, there were 282 million malaria cases worldwide in 2024, resulting in 610,000 deaths. The WHO African Region bore most of this burden, with Nigeria registering the highest estimated number of malaria cases.
New AI initiatives aim to bolster health leadership capacities
GLIDE announced two new training programs designed to enhance 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 inaugural residential cohort is expected to include 25 to 30 participants. The curriculum covers AI governance, institutional readiness, deployment strategies, and accountability mechanisms. This program is targeted at officials responsible for health policy and national disease control efforts.
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence partnered with GLIDE to develop AI for All, an online course designed for public health professionals. Featuring four modules and no coding prerequisites, the course explores core AI concepts, generative AI, bias, privacy, accountability, and human oversight. It provides health practitioners with foundational skills to evaluate AI tools within public health contexts. Additionally, the program discusses how organizations can assess technology before integrating it into routine operations.
Partnership enhances technical support for malaria efforts
During the New York meeting, GLIDE and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria formalized their collaboration through a mutual understanding agreement. This partnership connects technical expertise, innovative approaches, and capacity-building initiatives with national malaria priorities. Its goal is to promote country-led malaria control and elimination strategies. The collaboration also aligns with the World Health Organization’s Global Technical Strategy for Malaria, which aims to reduce malaria cases and fatalities by 2030 through strengthened surveillance and health systems.
The broader discussion also included polio and neglected tropical diseases alongside malaria. Attendees explored how AI can support surveillance activities, enhance decision-making, and optimize resource deployment. The event reaffirmed the central role of national health authorities in technology choices. Organizers emphasized the importance of training and institutional capacity-building as countries consider adopting new digital tools. Overall, the initiatives unveiled in New York linked AI education, technical cooperation, and national leadership with ongoing efforts to eliminate preventable infectious diseases.