African women turn to AI to tackle health, farming challenges

By Ofili Franca

The African Women Innovators are using artificial intelligence and smart technologies to address major health and agricultural challenges, demonstrating technology’s potential to improve healthcare and strengthen food systems.

They said in a statement that two innovators from Uganda and Rwanda presented digital solutions targeting disease diagnosis and potato production during a webinar hosted through the Africa Science Dialogue.

In Uganda, Dr Rose Nakasi of Makerere University was leading the development of AI-powered diagnostic tools designed to make disease detection faster, more consistent and accessible.

“The technology targets diseases including malaria, tuberculosis and cervical cancer, which continue to place pressure on Uganda’s health system and require timely and accurate diagnosis,” she said.

Nakasi said limited access to simple, rapid and accurate diagnostic services contributed to the severity of the disease burden, particularly in facilities with limited laboratory expertise.

She said that the system combined microscopes, smartphones and AI, using a 3D-printable adapter to capture patient sample images for analysis by disease-detection models.

According to the statement, the researchers reported that their malaria model achieved 92 per cent specificity, while the cervical cancer model recorded more than 94 per cent accuracy.

“More than 150 laboratory technicians and ten pathologists have been trained to use the system being implemented across more than 35 health facilities in Uganda,” she said.

Nakasi stressed that accurate diagnosis is essential because patients cannot receive appropriate treatment and care when diseases are incorrectly identified.

In Rwanda, Ms Clémence Uwamutarambirwa, an agroforester and innovator, is applying smart technology to a different challenge, helping farmers manage potato production more efficiently.

“Her Smart Potato Greenhouse Technology combines sensors, cloud-based analytics and a mobile application, allowing farmers and greenhouse managers to remotely monitor and manage growing conditions.

“Sensors continuously measure temperature, humidity and soil moisture, transmitting information to a cloud platform while farmers receive alerts and can remotely manage irrigation.

“The technology also supports hydroponic production, which uses water-based nutrient solutions instead of soil and can increase potato seed output while conserving water and reducing exposure to soil-borne pathogens,” Uwamutarambirwa said.

According to her, the innovations demonstrate how African researchers, particularly women, are adapting emerging technologies to local challenges, while experts call for stronger networks, mentorship and institutional support to expand women’s participation in science and innovation.

Dr Margaret Karembu, Director of International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), AfriCenter and Chair of Africa Women for Biosciences (AWfB), said expanding women’s participation in emerging technologies would require support beyond women themselves.

“Increasing women’s participation in science and technology cannot be viewed as a responsibility for women alone.

“The support of men as colleagues, supervisors, mentors, partners, institutional leaders and policy makers – is critical,” Karembu said.

She called for stronger networks and opportunities for women interested in science and innovation, including those who may not have formal training in biosciences.

“I want to emphasise something very important: you do not have to be a bio-scientist to belong in AWfB,” she said.

She said that more than 50 participants including early-career scientists, agricultural researchers, policy makers, farmers, journalists, academics and industry representatives attended the webinar.

(https://newsatlarge.ng)