Researchers from the Dahdaleh Institute and York University have joined with partners across nine African countries in an international collaboration to predict the spread of COVID-19 and to develop modelling tools that can support national policy-makers in their management of the pandemic. The project — Predictive Modelling and Forecasting of the Transmission of COVID-19 in Africa using Artificial Intelligence — is one of nine selected for funding by the International Development and Research Centre’s Global South AI4COVID Response Program.
The project is led by Professor Jude Kong, with York University professors Jianhong Wu, Ali Asgary, and James Orbinski (director of the Dahdaleh Institute) as co-principal investigators, in collaboration with more than 50 researchers from academic and government institutions across nine African nations.
"Achieving greater equity in global health requires innovation. Without it, we will achieve great inequity."
James Orbinski, Director, Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research
The interdisciplinary project will leverage insights from data sciences, disease modelling, and global health to design practical tools and locally relevant public health interventions that address the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on marginalized populations. The research team will also target the spread of misinformation about COVID-19 prevention and treatment, working alongside municipal and national health authorities and policy-makers to develop community-based messaging and risk communication strategies.
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