AI's Impact on BIPOC Communities & their Health:

The Benefits

Introduction

Communicate for Health Justice (CFHJ) and Data Science for Health Equity (DSxHE) unite to address artificial intelligence’s impact on BIPOC (Black, Brown, Indigenous) communities. Our first launch is a week-long digital awareness campaign. 

The second infographic of our theme with Data Science for Health Equity, focuses on the benefits of AI. Dive deep into the complexities of this powerful technology and its implications for BIPOC communities through the blog summary below. 

What the research says…

Early Heart Disease Detection in Indigenous Communities (Australia)

New technology by the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia helps health care workers serving Indigenous communities, retrieve usable images of the heart on the first attempt (Schubert, 2023). Users are guided by artificial intelligence while performing echocardiograms, the ultrasound of the heart. The AI software prompts the user on where they need to hold the ultrasound probe, and how much pressure to apply. The images are then uploaded to a cloud-based server and downloaded and analysed by cardiologists.

Identification of Counterfeit Drugs (Nigeria)

The global prevalence of counterfeit drugs presents a formidable obstacle, particularly in African regions. In response, a group of five high school girls - Promise Nnalue, Jessica Osita, Nwabuaku Ossai, Adaeze Onuigbo, and Vivian Okoye - established Team Save-A-Soul in 2018. Their innovative solution, an app developed with MIT open-source software, aimed to identify counterfeit drugs in Nigeria. Their remarkable achievement not only won them acclaim in a Silicon Valley competition but also contributed to advancing gender and economic justice for young African women and girls. (Owoyemi, Owoyemi, Osiyemi & Boyd, 2020). The app, called FD-Detector tests a drug’s barcode to verify its authenticity and expiration date.

Prenatal Health Text Reminders (India)

Lack of access to preventive care information is a major contributing factor for maternal and infant deaths in India. Health care professionals and researchers are using a Harvard-developed program called ARMMAN, automated messaging services developed with AI to deliver critical preventive care information to beneficiaries (new and expecting mothers) during pregnancy and after delivery in an effort to mitigate both the maternal and child mortality crisis.

Why This Matters…

1. First Nations Australians are 3X more likely than the general population to die from a heart condition, and the rate is even higher for people living in remote parts of the country. This type of sonography technology has the potential to lessen access gaps by combating the sonographer shortage, as well as reduce disparities for Indigenous communities in rural or remote areas (Schubert, 2023).

2. Counterfeit drugs can result in health complications and fatalities. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), its February 2023 threat assessment report reveals that the consumption of counterfeit and substandard drugs leads to approximately 500,000 deaths annually in sub-Saharan Africa (Fakiya, 2023).

3. India grapples with a significantly high maternal mortality ratio of 113 and child mortality ratio of 2830 per 100,000 live births, underscoring the urgent need for effective healthcare interventions. However, despite the importance of information delivery programs, a significant challenge arises from the substantial dropout rate among beneficiaries, impeding adherence and disrupting continuity of care. Despite this obstacle, there's ample opportunity for improvement and innovation to ensure that these programs effectively reach and support pregnant mothers, ultimately leading to improved maternal and child health outcomes.

References

Fakiya, V. (2023, Jun). Techpoint Africa. African healthtech startups are combating counterfeit drugs with blockchain, AI. Retrieved from https://techpoint.africa/2023/06/05/african-healthtech-startups-combat-counterfeit-drugs/

Owoyemi, A., Owoyemi, J., Osiyemi, A., & Boyd, A. (2020). Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare in Africa. Frontiers in digital health, 2, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2020.00006

Schubert, S. (2023, Mar 21). ABC News. How artificial intelligence is helping to detect heart disease in remote Australia. Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-22/how-ai-heart-technology-helps-remote-patients-get-ultrasounds/102123878

Harvard University: Teamcore. AI for Assisting NGOs in improving Maternal and Child Health Outcomes. Retrieved from https://teamcore.seas.harvard.edu/ai-assisting-ngos-improving-maternal-and-child-health-outcomes