EPHI and Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute signed MoU to foster impactful partnership
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute (EAII) and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), marking a remarkable step towards fostering collaboration and innovation. The MOU aimed at creating cooperation between EAII and EPHI on infrastructure development, joint research, surveillance, and intelligence on health and nutritional problems, and devising joint AI-based solutions for health care programs and facilitations to generate evidence that can inform policy and decision-making.
Dr. Messay Hailu, the Director General of EPHI, expressed his optimism that the collaboration between EPHI and EAII will propel significant advancements in digitalizing disease and health event surveillance systems. This partnership is poised to leverage predictive and prescriptive big data analytics, along with fostering decision science endeavors, paving the way for transformation in public health functions. The Director General also underscored the profound impact this collaboration will have on bolstering healthcare systems, and the partnership represents a significant step forward in the realm of public health, heralding collaboration and innovation in the fight against emerging health challenges. By generating evidence through advanced analytics, both institutes aim to enable early detection and swift responses to health threats. Crucially, the Director General also emphasized the commitment of both institutes to stringent data protection protocols, leveraging AI-driven solutions to ensure the privacy and accuracy of critical health information.
Dr. Taye Girma, Deputy Director General of EAII, said, “This partnership marks the beginning of a collaborative effort to leverage AI technology in optimizing healthcare services, health information management systems, surveillance, evidence generation, and use.” He also emphasized the commitment to carrying out the Memorandum of Understanding efficiently and expressed optimism that it would provide positive results. ” He disclosed plans to quickly form a technical team to operationalize the objectives stated in the Memorandum of Understanding and guarantee timely action to achieve the objectives. “The establishment of a dedicated technical team will expedite the implementation process and bring the envisioned benefits to fruition at the earliest,” he said.
Dr. Masresha Tessema, director of EPHI’s Food Science and Nutrition Research Directorate, outlined the Institution’s historical development, emphasizing its critical role in advancing research projects, strengthening the capacity of sub-national public health institutions, and delivering trustworthy, evidence-based data to decision-makers. He presented an overview of the institute’s activities, which include public health emergency management, research, the laboratory systems and existing collaborations between regional and international institutes. Dr. Masresha also emphasized the institution’s remarkable achievements in this domain, citing its instrumental role in promptly detecting and responding to emerging health threats.
Deputy Director Generals, Dr. Getachew Tollera and Dr. Saro Abdella, directors, and team leaders underscored the significance of the collaborative endeavor, signaling a collective commitment to leveraging innovation and expertise to address pressing challenges in public health.