Tropical Health Matters

Press Release: Artificial Intelligence and Innovations in Public Health Promotion Practice to Take Center Stage in Ibadan

The growing role of Artificial Intelligence in public health will take centre stage in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, as the Health Promotion and Education Alumni Association, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (HPEAAICM), kicks off her 2024 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference, between September 24 to 26, 2024, from 9 am daily, at the Koltol Hotel, Ikolaba, Ibadan.

The hybrid event brings together public health practitioners, program managers, researchers, policymakers, and students from across Nigeria and internationally. The conference will focus on an increasingly critical topic: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its innovative applications in public health promotion.

Bright Orji, HPEAAICM president says “this year’s theme, “Artificial Intelligence and Innovations in Public Health Promotion Practice,” reflects the growing role AI plays in transforming healthcare systems globally. AI-driven innovations are not only revolutionizing disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment but are also enhancing the ability of public health practitioners to design, implement, and evaluate health promotion programs”.

AI and Public Health

Artificial Intelligence, often referred to as the driving force behind the “Fourth Industrial Revolution,” is revolutionizing every sector, including healthcare. In public health, AI’s ability to process large amounts of data rapidly and with remarkable accuracy makes it a game-changer. Its applications span across:

• Disease Surveillance and Prevention: AI systems can analyze vast quantities of data to predict disease outbreaks, track epidemic patterns, and monitor real-time public health issues. This capacity for early detection is particularly relevant in the global fight against pandemics, as seen during the COVID-19 crisis.
• Personalized Health Promotion: AI-powered tools can tailor public health interventions to individual or community needs, improving health outcomes by promoting behaviors that are most effective for specific populations. These tools can analyze data from various sources such as social media, wearable health devices, and electronic health records, providing public health professionals with actionable insights.
• Health Communication and Education: AI chatbots and virtual health assistants are enhancing patient engagement and communication. These tools help in delivering health education to people, addressing misconceptions, and providing reliable health information in real-time. They are proving especially useful in low-resource settings, where healthcare personnel are often overstretched.
• Predictive Analytics in Health Promotion: AI algorithms can help anticipate health risks based on behavioral patterns, enabling health professionals to implement targeted preventive interventions. These predictive models can guide public health strategies for addressing lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.

Dr. Orji emphasizes that the use of AI in these capacities promises to strengthen health systems, improve efficiency, and ensure that public health interventions are data-driven and evidence-based. However, “these technologies also raise important questions regarding equity, privacy, and ethical use, which will be key points of discussion during the conference”, he adds.

The event will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, and breakout sessions that explore cutting-edge AI innovations and their real-world applications in public health. Eminent scholars from Nigeria and abroad will lead conversations on various aspects of AI in health promotion, shedding light on the opportunities and challenges these technologies present.

Why You Should Attend

This year’s Conference will bring key thematic opportunities to attendees including:

1. Networking Opportunities: Engage with a diverse group of public health practitioners, technology innovators, policymakers, and academics to discuss collaborative solutions to global health challenges.
2. Knowledge Exchange: Gain insights into how AI is being integrated into public health strategies, from improving surveillance and health promotion to transforming patient care and health education.
3. Influencing Policy: Participate in discussions that can help shape the future of health policy, especially concerning the ethical use of AI in public health promotion.
4. Capacity Building: Discover AI-driven tools and technologies that can enhance the effectiveness of public health programs, especially in resource-constrained settings like sub-Saharan Africa.
5. Global Perspective with Local Impact: The event will contextualize AI advancements within the Nigerian and broader African public health systems, ensuring that discussions remain relevant to local needs and priorities.

AI in Nigerian Public Health

In Nigeria, where public health systems face significant challenges, AI offers tremendous potential to strengthen health promotion efforts. The country continues to battle high maternal and child mortality rates, infectious disease outbreaks, and the rise of non-communicable diseases. However, AI innovations can improve data management and health service delivery in these areas, allowing health officials to track outbreaks, assess health risks, and intervene promptly, says Dr. Orji.

AI-powered telemedicine is already transforming healthcare delivery in remote regions of Nigeria, where access to physical health facilities is limited. During the COVID-19 pandemic, AI-assisted health surveillance tools helped track and predict outbreaks, leading to more effective responses.

The 2024 HPEAAICM Scientific Conference will delve into these success stories, highlighting the lessons learned and offering a roadmap for future AI integration in public health, Dr. Orji added.

Signed

Dr. Bright Orji, MPH, Ph.D
President, HPEAAICM

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Registration and Contact Information:

Registration for the event is now open. Participants can register for either in-person or virtual attendance via the HPEAAICM website (https://hpeaaicm.org/2024-agm/registration/).

For further inquiries and to confirm your participation, please contact:

Dr. Bright Orji, MPH, Ph.D
President, HPEAAICM
Phone: +234 803 709 6014
Email: OrjiBright.Clement@jhpiego.org

About HPEAAICM:

The Health Promotion and Education Alumni Association of the University of Ibadan College of Medicine (HPEAAICM) is dedicated to advancing the field of public health through education, innovation, and collaboration. The association brings together alumni who are leading public health professionals, researchers, and educators from across Nigeria and beyond.  Join us as we explore the intersection of AI and public health promotion—an exciting journey towards a healthier future driven by technology and innovation!

The Health Promotion and Education Alumni Association of the University of Ibadan College of Medicine (HPEAAICM) is hosting its Second Annual General Meeting & Scientific Conference from September 24 to 26, 2024. The association represents graduates of the first African graduate level professional and academic Master of Public Health program, which started at the University of Ibadan in 1975 as the African Regional Health Education Center (ARHEC) within the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine. At the beginning of this century ARHEC became the Department of Health Promotion and Education within the first ever Faculty of Public Health in Nigeria.

The association aims to keep members up to date on new knowledge and practices that have arisen since they obtained their MPH. In addition, the association arranges seminars, conferences, and symposia on issues of public health concerns and provides a link between the health promotion specialists and the public.

The main theme of this year’s Conference is “Artificial Intelligence and Innovations In Public Health Promotion Practice.” Sub-Themes include the following:

• Digital Health Technologies: Implication for Health Promotion Strategies in community Engagement.
• Artificial Intelligence application in Disease Surveillance, Outbreak, Prediction and prevention
• Use of Artificial Intelligence in addressing Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health
• Enhancing the implementation of Health Promotion Policy through digital Health Technologies
• Health Promotion: A Key Strategy for Reproductive, maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Elderly Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAEH+N) intervention.
• Current trends in the use of health promotion principle for climate change environmental health promotion
• Addressing Global Health challenges of Communicable and Non-communicable diseases through Health Promotion Initiatives.

For more information and inquiries send a mail to: abstract@hpeaaicm.org