WHO and Ethiopia's AI Institute plan to put AI to work in health
Disease forecasting, drones for remote clinics and skin-disease diagnosis tools were on the table as WHO's delegation toured the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute.
Addis Ababa — Ethiopia has been building its own artificial intelligence capacity. Now the World Health Organization wants to help point it at health. A WHO delegation led by Professor Francis Chisaka Kasolo, WHO Representative to Ethiopia, visited the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute (EAII) to explore a strategic partnership, WHO said.
What they saw
The Institute demonstrated:
- AI-assisted machines and robotics
- Natural language processing, speech-to-text and translation tools
- Predictive models for disease prevention and control
- AI diagnostic tools for skin diseases
EAII Deputy Director General Dr Taye Girma said the Institute works on AI in health, agriculture, education, urban development and governance, and wants Ethiopia to be a leading AI hub in Africa. Its AI UniPod and Timbuktoo programmes support more than 600 young innovators.
Where they may work together
- AI-enabled disease surveillance and forecasting
- Emergency preparedness and response
- Supply chains and logistics
- Adapting WHO's SMART guidelines locally
- Training health workers, health insurance services and reaching remote communities
- Drones for humanitarian work and deliveries to hard-to-reach areas
Kasolo said the priority is turning innovation into practical solutions at scale by building on Ethiopia's own capacity. Both sides stressed strong governance, regulation, ethics and data protection so that AI in health is trustworthy and fair.
Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa, 21 October 2026.
