Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic idea in the digital landscape. It is a tool to enhance disease identification, optimize medical diagnosis, and improve patient outcomes. This transition is especially needed in areas such as South Asia, where overcrowded countries such as Bangladesh drive up care inequities, infrastructural challenges, and workforce gaps.
AI is a unique opportunity to help fill the void and make health care more efficient, accessible, and responsive. It is transforming the field of medicine with predictive analytics, cutting-edge diagnostics, and virtual patient assistance world-wide.
McKinsey and company estimates AI could add more than $100 billion a year to the health-care industry through improved decision-making, faster medical research and operations efficiencies.
Taking preemptive measures through AI
Among the most significant applications of AI, being able to predict diseases is at the top. The algorithms sift through large data sets including epidemiological trends, climate factors, and patterns of human mobility to predict outbreaks.
Another example would be AI platform BlueDot, which was one of the first systems that detected the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan that allowed governments to take preemptive action. In addition to outbreak surveillance, AI is improving the accuracy of clinical diagnosis via systems such as Google’s DeepMind and IBM Watson, which are able to identify a myriad of conditions from cancer to diabetic retinopathy and tuberculosis with superhuman accuracy
Furthermore, providing 24-hour support for mental health, chronic illness management or emergency consultation, AI-driven chatbots and virtual health assistants are increasing access to medical advice in underserved areas.
The ability to leverage AI in accelerating medical research was particularly evident during the Covid-19 pandemic, with machine learning models analyzing protein structures and clinical trial data to speed up genetic vaccine development,demonstrating the potential for AI within the realm of biomedical innovation.
International AI success
AI was declared a national priority as part of its 2018 National Strategy for AI and India has emerged as a regional leader in AI-driven healthcare.
The country has deployed AI tools such as Qure.ai, which helps radiologists interpret chest X-rays and CT scans to identify tuberculosis and Covid-19.
Here AI-based screening programs are making early cancer detection possible in rural areas. According to NITI Aayog, AI has the potential to contribute a whopping $957bn to the Indian economy by 2035, with healthcare emerging as a major beneficiary .
With similar aims, Sri Lanka has leveraged AI to enhance dengue surveillance, utilizing predictive models using weather and mobility data to forecast outbreaks and direct mosquito control efforts accordingly. In Nepal, artificial intelligence-powered telemedicine platforms are linking remote Himalayan communities with doctors and maternal health apps to mitigate complications in pregnancy. These developments signify the region’s increasing dedication to leveraging AI for more intelligent and inclusive healthcare delivery.
We want robust programs, good cybersecurity, political buy-in, and rules to ensure that folks’ data is protected
Bangladesh’s slow but steady progress
Bangladesh, home to more than 170 million people, has serious healthcare hurdles to overcome including urban-rural divides, a lack of medical professionals and low public health expenditure.
Nevertheless, with these limitations, the nation is showing excellent progress in the adoption of artificial intelligence systems in the health care facilities. For example, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) has already produced machine learning models to predict cholera outbreaks from environmental and behavioural data. Similarly, in mobile health (mHealth) platforms, AI-powered app technologies such as Maya or Doctorola have been implemented, which provide AI-assisted health advice through Bangla and English languages.
Maya, which has more than 10 million users, is especially valuable to women in rural and conservative communities, where public discussion reproductive health is limited and sensitive health topics can be stigmatized. In the fight against tuberculosis, Rohingya refugee camps and inaccessible areas are employing AI-assisted solutions to interpret digital X-ray results for speedy and more accurate diagnosis.
In rural sub-districts, community health workers are using AI-embedded mobile tools to monitor maternal and child health indicators leading to decreased maternal mortality and stillbirths.
Most importantly, at the policy level, the Bangladesh government’s digital health strategy (2023-2027) identifies AI as a cornerstone of its efforts to modernize health information systems and broaden the reach of telemedicine services supported by the access to information (a2i) program, piloting AI-based diagnostic tools in clinics within rural areas is spurring this transition toward equitable and data-driven health care.
Concerns that AI sparks
AI can take public health to new heights and there is few issues and concern of ethics that it brings as well. One big problem is privacy of personal health data, as digital records can be hacked or abused.
AI tools are also designed using data from western countries. The health needs of South Asian people may differ for the effective use of AI in South Asia, the countries must coordinate and have a thoughtful strategy. These include establishing clear national AI strategies that are fair, transparent, and ethical. If governments, private firms and universities can come together, they can share ideas and help successful initiatives flourish. Improving digital tools and access to the internet, especially in rural areas.
Health-care workers may require training to understand and use AI effectively across their daily workload. AI systems must also respect local culture, be free of bias and protect people’s rights. This requires group work and strategic intercession, Through this, AI for healthcare can cater to every South Asian.
To sum up, using artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to truly revolutionize public health within a nation, particularly in Bangladesh and several other South Asian countries. AI assists physicians in diagnosing diseases, managing health data, and advising patients in underprivileged areas. It helps healthcare workers by saving their time and enabling them to make better decisions.
To do so, we want robust programs, good cybersecurity, political buy-in, and rules to ensure that folks’ data is protected. If governments, private firms and communities collaborate, AI can help make health care better for the world. It can cut costs, improve services and ensure even those in rural or impoverished areas get the care they require.
M Jahangir Alam is Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Eminence Associates for Social Development. Email: [email protected]
