NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Global health leaders used a UN General Assembly gathering to call for country-led adoption of artificial intelligence in disease elimination. The meeting brought together ministers, public health specialists, funders and diagnostics experts. The Global Institute for Disease Elimination, known as GLIDE, co-hosted the event with the RBM Partnership to End Malaria and Nigeria. Discussions focused on disease surveillance, health planning, resource allocation and the conditions needed for responsible AI use.
Speakers stressed that governments should guide decisions on how health systems introduce and manage AI tools. Michael Adekunle Charles, CEO of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, delivered remarks on behalf of Nigeria’s health minister, Muhammad Ali Pate. Nigeria continues to implement its Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. The program covers primary healthcare, health financing, workforce development and stronger data systems. Participants also highlighted the need to connect new technologies with existing national health priorities.
The session examined practical requirements for wider AI use across disease control programs. Participants identified reliable data, skilled health workers, sustainable financing and integration with existing systems as key needs. Malaria remains a major focus for global health agencies. World Health Organization estimates placed worldwide malaria cases at 282 million in 2024, with 610,000 deaths. The WHO African Region carried most of that burden, while Nigeria recorded the highest estimated number of malaria cases.
New AI programs focus on health leadership
GLIDE also introduced two training programs designed to strengthen knowledge of artificial intelligence among public health leaders. Its GLIDE Leadership Excellence in AI for Health program will bring senior decision-makers to Abu Dhabi from January 17 to 22, 2027. The first residential cohort will include 25 to 30 participants. Training will cover AI governance, institutional readiness, deployment choices and accountability. The course targets officials who oversee health policy and national disease programs.
Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence developed a second program, AI for All, with GLIDE for public health professionals. The online course includes four modules and does not require coding experience. It covers basic AI concepts, generative AI, bias, privacy, accountability and human oversight. The curriculum gives health professionals a foundation for assessing AI tools in public health settings. It also addresses how organizations can evaluate technology before integrating it into routine operations.
Malaria partnership adds technical cooperation
GLIDE and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria signed a letter of mutual understanding during the New York meeting. The agreement links technical expertise, innovation and capacity-building with national malaria priorities. It supports country-led malaria control and elimination work. The cooperation also aligns with the World Health Organization’s Global Technical Strategy for Malaria. That framework guides international efforts to reduce malaria cases and deaths through 2030 while strengthening surveillance and health systems.
The wider discussion also covered polio and neglected tropical diseases alongside malaria. Participants reviewed how AI can support surveillance, improve program decisions and help direct available resources. The event kept national health authorities at the center of technology decisions. Organizers also emphasized training and institutional capacity as countries consider new digital tools. Together, the initiatives announced in New York linked AI education, technical cooperation and national leadership with ongoing efforts to eliminate preventable infectious diseases.