Modelling suggests advanced age does not have a strong effect on immune response once comorbidities are controlled for

Thinking about getting a spring-time booster shot? coming out of 91亚色鈥檚 Centre for Disease Modelling in the Faculty of Science shows that immunity after a COVID-19 booster lasts much longer than the primary series alone. These findings are among other, sometimes 鈥渦nintuitive,鈥� revelations of how factors like age, sex and comorbidities do and don鈥檛 affect immune response.

The study鈥檚 authors 鈥� 91亚色 Post Doctoral researchers Chapin Korosec and David Dick, Applied Mathematics Professor Iain Moyles and Professor James Watmough with the University of New Brunswick 鈥� used health data submitted to the Covid Immunity Task-Force project for more than 150 individuals who received either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to look at how immunity holds up over time.

鈥淥ur approach as mathematicians is to create mathematical models of the immune system, and then calibrate those models to health care data in order to advance our understanding of the human immune system. It was really interesting to see the SARS-CoV-2 booster dose have such a huge increase in protective longevity capacity as compared to the primary series of two doses,鈥� says Korosec, the study鈥檚 lead author.

Published today in the journal Scientific Reports, the study used Canadian vaccine data collected from individuals living in long-term care, as well as frontline health-care workers working in long-term care and hospitals.

Looking at the group as a whole, the median length for the antibody half-life immune response was 63 days for the primary series, and increased to 115 days for those who went on to receive their boosters, a statistically significant finding, says Korosec.

It is well-established that age can affect how adept the body is at priming an immune response after vaccines, so much so that advanced age is considered a comorbidity itself, says Korosec.

鈥淐hronological age is your time since birth. But you also have an immunological age, which is correlated to your chronological age, and is related to how your body loses its ability to prime against invading pathogens and produce antibodies as time marches on,鈥� explains Korosec. 鈥淲hat's convoluted is that as we age chronologically, the probability that we accrue diseases that can affect the immune system in unintuitive ways also increases.鈥�

Looking into this aspect, the researchers found that older adults did have a less long-lasting immune response, but once they controlled for other comorbidities such as hypertension, lung disease and cancer, age no longer had as significant of an influence on the immune response.

Other interesting findings include a small, but statistically significant immune response for males versus females, and people with asthma having a longer lasting immune response 鈥� more durable, in fact, than those with hybrid immunity from vaccines and contracting COVID-19.

鈥淲e found that some outcomes were surprising and worth further study, but of course we're not advocating any particular comorbidity is beneficial,鈥� says Dick. 鈥淲e don't have any information from this study on how asthma would affect the severity of the COVID-19 illness, for example.鈥�

Outside of the strict findings, the researchers also say the study points to the importance of interdisciplinary research and are excited about the possibilities for collaboration, with plans to open 91亚色鈥檚 medical school in 2028.

鈥淲hile we鈥檙e all from math and stats departments, the data comes from clinicians who went through medical school and are now professors studying immunology, and I think this study shows how people with different skill sets can come together and do really interesting science,鈥� says Korosec.

Adds Moyles: 鈥淲e have a really top applied math program at 91亚色, and now the university has announced a medical school. Imagine these clinicians were at 91亚色 and we had access to the data on the ground floor. This would cut the research timeline by years and has huge potential for future interdisciplinary research at the university.鈥�

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Those countries with the highest rates of severe infections also had the highest rates of reported cases

A new analysis of COVID-19 cases in Africa shows that for most of the continent鈥檚 countries the rate of infection was likely much higher than reported in the initial stages, found 91亚色 researchers.

Case counts reported by most African countries suggest the virus spread slowly during the early part of the pandemic, but the researchers say those numbers likely didn鈥檛 capture the true extent of the spread.

鈥淭he low reporting numbers was likely due to a lack of public awareness, public health resources, monitoring practices, testing availability and stigma,鈥� says Faculty of Science Professor Jude Kong, senior author of the paper and director of the (AI4PEP).

To get a better handle on the real number of those infected, the researchers used an epidemiological mathematical model, along with observed data, for 54 countries in Africa to estimate the number of hidden infections. Data on cumulative number of cases and daily confirmed cases were used to build an epidemic profile for Africa of the initial stage of COVID-19.

What may be most surprising is the estimation that some 66 per cent of all infections in Africa were asymptomatic, while about five per cent were severe and about 27 per cent were mild.

鈥淎frica is primarily comprised of a young population so it鈥檚 possible there were fewer cases, less severe symptoms or more people with asymptomatic symptoms than in a population that has a higher percentage of seniors,鈥� says Postdoctoral Fellow Qing Han, lead researcher on the paper. 鈥淭his suggests the possibility of a lower rate of detection of the virus.鈥�

The researchers found that the basic reproduction number (R0) in each country was much higher than when only reported cases were used as the average overall case reporting rate was low 鈥� estimated at about five per cent continent-wide 鈥� in the early stages for each country. They estimate that the real mean R0 is 2.02 compared to the reported R0 of 0.17 and ranged from 1.12 in Zambia and 3.64 in Nigeria.

鈥淐ounties that showed a R0 of less than one, which basically means there was no outbreak, likely have a much higher true R0. Not investigating the underreported figures could cause an underestimation of the severity and magnitude of the epidemic locally in each country,鈥� says Han.

Those countries with the highest number of severe infections also tended to have the highest reported cases and those with the lowest severe infections generally had the lowest report rate. The researchers say the predicted true numbers of cumulative cases are high above what was reported for all countries with Sudan and Gambia reporting collectively most at 27 per cent and 22 per cent, while most countries reported less than five per cent.

Northern and southern African countries had higher reporting rates compared to central Africa, which could be explained in part by higher health-care spending in the north and south regions. Libya topped all the African countries for having the most nurses and physicians per 1,000 people.

鈥淭he estimated low reporting rates in most African countries point to a need for improved reporting and surveillance systems especially for central Africa,鈥� says Kong, co-executive director of the .

The paper, , was published today in the Royal Society Open Science Journal.

The work was funded by under the Global South AI4COVID Program.

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91亚色 researchers say assuming you have COVID-19 and isolating may decrease influenza and COVID-19 infections, and help an already stressed health-care system

Feeling sniffly, congested or have a sore throat and don't know if it's a cold, the flu or SARS-CoV-2? Researchers at 91亚色 say before heading to work or a restaurant, it's best to test first for COVID-19 and wear a mask.

New modelling research looks at the co-circulation dynamics of influenza and COVID-19 to understand the role of vaccines, testing speed and the use of personal protection strategies, such as masking, in helping to avert COVID-19 and the flu peaking at the same time.

The researchers, including 91亚色 Faculty of Science lead author and PhD student , senior author Assistant Professor , and Distinguished Research Professor and Director of the , found that increasing COVID-19 daily testing capacity delays the outbreak peak time and peak size, but increases the number of flu infections.

"The reason is that people don't need to isolate if they have the flu. By testing for COVID-19 early on, when symptoms first arise, people who test negative will continue to do their normal daily things, including heading to the office, even if they have the flu. That increases the time period when others could be infected," says Majeed.

鈥淎ssuming you have just the flu could increase not only the rate of influenza but COVID-19. On the other hand, assuming you have COVID-19 and isolating may decrease influenza and COVID-19 infections.鈥�

The study also found that if more people get their third or fourth booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, even if the influenza coverage is kept at about 35 per cent, which is average, it will delay the peak times for both COVID-19 and the flu.

"Delaying or diminishing peak time of either the flu or COVID-19 would provide a huge benefit for our already stressed health-care system," says Woldegerima. "Having COVID-19 and the flu co-circulating, especially as they have similar symptoms, can quickly overburden healthcare, as we've already seen, and slow testing and treatment."

As multiple highly contagious strains of SARS-CoV-2 continue to gain traction and circulate 鈥� especially ones that are better at evading the immune system and rendering vaccines less effective 鈥� the more likely there will be new waves of COVID-19 permeating a typical flu season.

In addition, the study found that if the more people were vaccinated against both, but particularly the flu vaccine, it would reduce the peak for COVID-19 and delay the peak time for both infections, significantly.

Mask wearing, however, coupled with a moderate increase in vaccine uptake may mitigate COVID-19 and prevent an influenza outbreak. As of their last available report covering the last week of December 2022, FluWatch Canada reported there were 2,841 lab-confirmed flu cases.

The researchers say their study has important practical implications for public-health policy as it shows effectively managing and controlling influenza and COVID-19 outbreaks in the same

season relies on optimal strategies for vaccine coverage.

The paper, Mitigating co-circulation of seasonal influenza and COVID-19 pandemic in the presence of vaccination: A mathematical modeling approach, is published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health.

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Professors H茅l猫ne Carabin and Jacques B茅lair from the Universit茅 de Montr茅al co-moderated the virtual event, and in attendance were network researchers, collaborators from across Canada and the U.S., representatives from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as fellow Emerging Infectious Diseases Modelling (EIDM) networks. More than 20 speakers presented about recent research milestones. Further, 91亚色 postdoctoral fellow Pei Yuan presented on behalf of her winning group of the which included members Jeta Molla and Zahra Khanzad (91亚色), Harini Kapali (University of Victoria) and Aiyush Bansal (University of Toronto).

OMNI-R脡UNIS Director Huaiping Zhu, professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, took the opportunity to thank everyone for all their support in his opening address on behalf of the network鈥檚 leadership team.

鈥淎s we continue implementing initiatives in the second and third year of the grant, it is ever so imperative that we keep striving towards the intended and long-term objective and mission of this network: to build a modelling network that will enhance Canada鈥檚 early detection, warning, and response to emerging infectious diseases using a One Health approach,鈥� said Zhu. 鈥淎s infectious diseases continue to emerge, addressing the interconnections between people, animals, plants, and their environment has become increasingly critical to our response and research.鈥�

Over the last year and a half, OMNI-R脡UNIS has made significant strides across various components of the network:

• twenty-two active projects within four core emerging infectious disease sub-themes: Data Management, Risk for Emergence and Spillover, Early Warning Systems for Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Intervention and Control;
• capacity-building opportunities for highly qualified personnel and trainees in the EIDM consortium;
• knowledge-sharing events with renowned speakers; and
• network growth of the governing body and team.

As a One Health research network, OMNI-R脡UNIS teams are focused on building meaningful capacity as thought leaders in this space, to ensure the sustainability of the network, support knowledge users in public health, policy, and academia, and support decision-makers in helping to make public health decisions. During the next two years, the network will continue moving forward the impactful research of its existing projects across a number of current topics, expanding its geographic reach, increasing our collaboration with policymakers, and expanding its reach internationally.

CDM and 91亚色 are home to several network leads who have been instrumental in building up OMNI-R脡UNIS from its inception. They include:

• Huaiping Zhu (Faculty of Science), principal investigator and director of OMNI and CDM
• Jane Heffernan (Faculty of Science), highly qualified personnel training lead
• Iain Moyles (Faculty of Science), associate director and theme 4 co-leader (Intervention & Control)
• Hanna Jankowski (Faculty of Science), Chair of the Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity and Decolonization Committee
• Manos Papagelis (Lassonde), research lead theme 3 project (Early Warning Systems of EID)
• Jude Dzevela Kong (Faculty of Science), theme 3 co-leader (Early Warning Systems of EID)

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Rapid antigen tests, like the COVID-19 home test, use a technology called lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA), where a biological sample is placed on a strip of paper-like membrane and flows along this membrane to display a positive or negative result, generally within a few minutes. This kind of test has many advantages, namely simplicity and low cost, and it鈥檚 used for a variety of other infectious diseases; but a major limitation of LFIA is its low sensitivity, giving too many false-negative results.

by a team of chemists at 91亚色 comprised of Banting Fellow Vasily Panferov and postdoctoral Fellow Nikita Ivanov and led by Distinguished Research Professor Sergey Krylov in the Department of Chemistry, has now addressed that limitation by inventing an enhancement step for LFIA, whereby the sensitivity is increased by 25 to near 100 per cent. This step could be performed by an untrained person, in a matter of two minutes.

鈥淚ncreasing diagnostic sensitivity of LFIA is an urgent and very important task in containing the spread of infections,鈥� said Krylov. 鈥淚f we think about COVID-19 for instance, about 40 per cent of those who are infected with the virus and have symptoms would test negative the first time. In a day or two, when the virus has multiplied to a very high level, they will get positive results, but it may be too late for preventing disease spread as the person may have not self-isolated.鈥�

Krylov鈥檚 team developed their enhanced test and proof of concept for the hepatitis B virus; they were able to increase the diagnostic sensitivity of LFIA from 73 to 98 per cent while not affecting its 95 per cent specificity. The test requires a tiny drop of finger-prick capillary blood, making it practical for use on babies born from infectious mothers, for example.

The team鈥檚 enhancement step involves a simple procedure with low-cost accessory equipment that could be done in a primary care setting or lab to generate quick and reliable results. It involves adding a standard nanoparticle mixture and applying voltage to the strip ends (a process called electrophoresis). The electric field moves the immunocomplexes through the test strip so that they pile up on each other, enhancing the signal on the test (a darker positive line if the person is infected).

鈥淭he test would be done in two stages: the patient does the test as they normally would, and then if it鈥檚 negative or faintly positive, the enhancement step is performed,鈥� said Krylov. 鈥淭his could significantly reduce the workload of hospital testing facilities and facilitate more affordable diagnostics in resource-limited settings.鈥�

Krylov noted that the same concept could be applied for sensitive testing in the food and beverage industry for contamination by toxins produced by bacteria.

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#10 Enhanced opportunities for undergraduate research and success

Fifty-five students from Science and across the University attended our annual Summer Undergraduate Research Conference to present their summer research projects and network with their peers. The Faculty of Science also established the Earle Nestmann Undergraduate Research Award program, thanks to a generous donation from alumnus Earle Nestmann.

#9 New international education experience programs and initiatives

We launched our 2+2/2+3 Undergraduate International Collaboration Education Programs, which allow students from participating institutions to complete their first two years of study at their home university and their last two or three years at 91亚色. We also created the 91亚色 Science Hainan Learning Centre to support some of our international students currently studying online due to COVID-19.

#8 Celebrating new and renewed Chair positions

We welcomed and celebrated new and renewed Chair appointments, including Canada Research Chairs (Professors Chris Caputo, Kohitij Kar and Raymond Kwong), 91亚色 Research Chairs (Professors Jianhong Wu and Jane Heffernan), the Allan I. Carswell Chair for the Public Understanding of Astronomy (Professor Sarah Rugheimer), the Guy Warwick Rogers Chair in Chemistry (Professor Cora Young), and the Mclaughlin Research Chair (Professor John McDermott).

#7 Three Science professors elected to Royal Society of Canada (RSC)

The elected three 91亚色 Science faculty members: Professor Jianhong Wu, as Fellow, Academy of Science; and Professors Sandra Rehan and Sapna Sharma, as members of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Recognition by the RSC is the highest honour an individual can achieve in the arts, social sciences and sciences.

#6 New professors join Faculty of Science ranks

We welcomed new faculty members Charlotte de Araujo, Kohitij Kar, Allysa Lumley, Daniela Monaldi, Gloria Orchard, Balint Radics, Kelly Ramsay, Sarah Rugheimer, and Jennifer van Wijngaarden. By recruiting talented new researchers and teachers like these individuals, we are building science for the future and making 91亚色 Science a great place to learn and be a researcher.

#5 Launch of Data Science program

The Department of Mathematics & Statistics launched a new Data Science program, starting fall 2023. The program includes streams in areas of practice such as business and health, together with a capstone course where students work on real-world problems for clients.

#4 Focus on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) for new STS offerings

The Department of Science, Technology & Society (STS) revamped its roster of courses and major and minor options, including two new EDI-focused courses that offer students the opportunity to examine EDI through explorations of past and present issues and controversies in science and technology.

#3 New domes installed at Allan I. Carswell Observatory

Two new state-of-the-art, remote-controlled domes were installed at the Allan I. Carswell Astronomical Observatory, replacing the original domes from the 1960s and opening the night sky for better viewing of planets, stars, nebulae and more.

#2 $7.25M for Global South AI4PEP Network

Professor Jude Kong received $7.25 million from the International Development Research Centre to establish the Global South Artificial Intelligence for Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Response (AI4PEP) Network. The five-year project is aimed at ensuring vulnerable and at-risk populations are included in disease outbreak management and policies.

#1 Launch of Community 2022 initiative

We launched our Community 2022 initiative, aimed at helping faculty, staff and students reconnect in person and support the return to a more robust on-campus presence. Community 2022 includes events for social reconnection, initiatives to welcome new community members, supports for in-person teaching, seminars to support researchers, promotion of health and well-being, and improvements to the Faculty鈥檚 physical environment.

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The 2022 Canada-China Symposium on Modeling, Prevention and Control of Zoonoses, organized by the Canadian Center for Disease Modeling at 91亚色, took place Nov. 11 to 16 and examined how zoonotic disease spreads through humans.

The 鈥�2022 Canada-China Symposium on Modeling, Prevention and Control of Zoonoses,鈥� which took place from Nov. 11 to 16 EST (Nov 12 -16, Beijing time UTC+8), co-organized by the Center for Disease Modeling (CDM), was a resounding success. As a collaborative CDM Canada-China program that takes place annually, this year the symposium focused on modelling, prevention and control of zoonoses (infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or prions that jump from animals to humans). The symposium brought together more than 100 experts and scholars from across Canada and China in the fields of mathematical modelling for infectious diseases, public health and veterinary public health.

The five-day was held virtually, and was jointly organized by the CDM, the Center for Mathematical Biosciences of Northeast Normal University, the China Animal Health and Epidemiology Center and the Chinese Society of Mathematical Biology.

This Canada-China event kicked off the first two days with focused, distinguished lectures given by global thought leaders and experts on topics covering the latest development and progress in the field. The remaining three days were filled with invited talks and panel discussions focused on the concept of 鈥渙ne health鈥� and promoting mathematical modeling research in solving practical problems by in-depth coordinated development in multidisciplinary fields, to prevent and control the occurrence and prevalence of zoonotic diseases. The seminar focused on hotspot issues of zoonotic diseases and included eight distinguished lectures, 26 invited talks and six panel discussions involving 22 scholars, which strengthened interdisciplinary and interdepartmental connectivity and cooperation among the scientific community on zoonotic disease modeling, prevention and control.

The 2022 Organizing Committee was co-chaired by 91亚色 Research Chair, Professor Huaiping Zhu, the director of CDM, and Professor Meng Fan, from Northeast Normal University in China The organizing committee included CDM members Julien Arino (University of Manitoba), Jacques Belair (University of Montreal), Jingan Cui (Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, China), 91亚色 Mathematics and Statistics Professor Jane Heffernan, Zhen Jin (Shanxi University, China), Wendi Wang (Southwest University, China), Youming Wang (China Animal Health and Epidemiology Center), James Watmough (University of New Brunswick), and Yanni Xiao (Xi鈥檃n Jiaotong University, China). 91亚色 postdoc Pei Yuan and 91亚色 Program Manager Natasha Ketter were involved in the local supporting committee.

Heffernan, with 91亚色 Professors Jude Dzevela Kong, Iain Moyles, Woldegebriel Assefa Woldegerima and about 200 graduate students, postdocs and scholars also participated in the event.

The distinguished lectures provided a comprehensive and in-depth elaboration on the challenges, research hotspots, latest progress, prevention and control experience and reflections on the prevention and control of zoonotic diseases.

Kong, Moyles, Assefa Woldegerima and 23 speakers across Canada and China shared their latest research results and frontiers in zoonotic disease modeling, prevention and control, involving a variety of zoonotic diseases such as monkeypox, COVID-19, Lyme disease, Malaria, West Nile Virus fever, Ebola and Brucellosis.

The innovative organizing of the seminar broke down barriers of disciplines, strengthened the transformational connection between individual research, teamwork and scientific research institutions, and promoted the interdisciplinary benign interaction and multi-party cooperation in zoonotic disease modeling, prevention and control. The symposium is not only of great significance for innovating ideas on the prevention and control of zoonoses, but also a beneficial attempt for the deep integration of public health, veterinary public health, mathematical biology and other disciplines, making significant contributions to global research of 鈥渙ne health鈥� framework.

To learn more, visit .

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In between attending classes, studying, and volunteering, Haleema Ahmed is busy serving as a member of the Prime Minister鈥檚 Youth Council (PMYC), providing regular input on government programs and initiatives from a youth perspective. She and the council meet with senior government officials and federal agencies once a month to discuss issues of importance to them, their community and country. From Aug. 29 to 31, Ahmed and the council gathered for their first in-person meeting since the pandemic began. At this meeting, which took place in Ottawa, the council met with its Chair, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Vice-Chair and Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Marci Ien, as well as other ministers.

鈥淪erving on the council allows me to bridge youth issues and my opinions to a national table that shapes the future of our country. Having this access has also really motivated me to do more outreach,鈥� says Ahmed. 鈥淚 have been able to voice my perspectives on the issues closest to me, including mental health and Islamophobia.鈥�

Ahmed joined the council in July 2021 as part of its fifth cohort 鈥� just as she was preparing to begin her studies at 91亚色 as a biomedical sciences student that fall. The cohort began meeting virtually every month with agencies like the Public Health Agency of Canada, Elections Canada, Health Canada and the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat, bringing their perspectives and stories to the table to shape policies. During their August 2022 meeting, the council discussed issues ranging from pharmacare to mental health to reconciliation for Indigenous peoples. Ahmed also spoke to the prime minister about Islamophobia and the need for federal action on Bill 21 in Quebec.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always insightful to hear from the other council members, who live in different parts of Canada and have unique experiences and perspectives that I may not have considered before,鈥� says Ahmed.

She began her studies at 91亚色 on a 91亚色 Science Scholar Award, a $10,000 entrance scholarship that includes a paid summer research position after the completion of first year. As part of this program, in summer 2022 she worked with Assistant Professor Jude Kong in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics, studying the cultural and sociodemographic factors affecting the pandemic response by Canadian universities.

She is also a freelance writer, publishing articles about her views on high school education, Islamophobia and social justice for media like the Toronto Star, the Markham Economist & Sun and MYVoice Canada. Her latest opinion piece in the (May 5, 2022) discusses how to meaningfully include youth at every decision-making table.

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Five-year project aimed at ensuring vulnerable and at-risk populations are included in disease outbreak management and policies

At a time when the risk of emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases (ERIDs) is increasing, an international team led by 91亚色 successfully competed to receive a CAD7.25 million grant from the (IDRC) to help tackle the issue. This grant will enable the research team to work alongside countries in the Global South to develop equitable and responsible artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and big data approaches to improve public health outcomes.

The five-year project, Global South Artificial Intelligence for Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Response Network, is borne out of the promise of AI solutions across the Global South to improve the health system response to infectious disease outbreaks, and the commensurate need to examine important ethical, legal and social implications of these solutions on populations most susceptible to disease and compromised overall well-being.

Led by 91亚色 Assistant Professor of the Faculty of Science, this project will support prevention, early detection, preparedness, mitigation and control of emerging or re-emerging infectious disease outbreaks in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East and North Africa.

"91亚色 is honoured to have this opportunity to create positive change by fostering more equitable and responsible approaches to complex health-care needs through the ethical use of artificial intelligence,鈥� says 91亚色 President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. 鈥淭his project will help us strengthen our impact on several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including good health and well-being, as well as gender equality and partnerships. I'd like to thank IDRC for their ongoing support of 91亚色's commitment to collaboratively addressing pressing global issues and congratulate Jude Kong on all his work in this area."

Globally, as humans continue to encroach on animal habitats and climate changes worsens, incidents of disease outbreaks are expected to increase in severity and frequency 鈥� often stemming from viruses, bacteria and parasites that jump from animals to people. These outbreaks can have calamitous consequences which cascade across socio-economic boundaries, particularly affecting vulnerable populations, magnifying social inequities, and putting pressure on weak health-care systems, which further exacerbate underlying inequities and disparities.

鈥淎s the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside outbreaks such as Ebola and hMPXV, previously known as monkeypox, IDRC鈥檚 commitment to supporting innovative and locally championed solutions from LMICs is renewed and further deepened," says IDRC President Jean Lebel. "We are delighted to build on IDRC鈥檚 deep experience in using AI to solve pressing social and economic challenges by supporting the team at 91亚色 in funding thought leaders in the LMICs to develop, use and scale responsible AI solutions to strengthen health systems. This collaborative effort will foreground AI applications that are ethical, respect privacy, and support gender equality and inclusive benefits across low-resource settings.鈥�

The project will develop a diverse, multi-regional and interdisciplinary network of partners and teams to help address gaps in knowledge, capacities and solutions, and better understand how AI can improve public health preparedness and response. It will promote southern-led equitable and ethical use of AI and big data to improve public health preparedness and response, identify risks, conduct predictive modelling and provide evidence-based recommendations for public health policy and action.

"It is important to design, manage and govern AI and big data approaches using a health-equity and gender-equality lens to avoid amplifying existing inequalities leading to the possibility of significant harm rather than tremendous benefits," says Kong, the project鈥檚 executive director and director of the Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation Consortium (ACADIC).

The goal is to ensure vulnerable and at-risk populations are included in disease outbreak management and policies, including racialized visible minorities, women, geographically isolated individuals, Indigenous communities, migrants and refugees, unhoused people and the socio-economically underserved. COVID-19 has underlined the need for timely, accurate, and reliable data to inform evidence-based public health decision-making.

"AI techniques have developed rapidly over the last decade and the ability to store large data sets has led to novel methods of analysis, allowing for modelling predictions on a scale that was previously not possible,鈥� says Kong. "ERIDs present global challenges, and as such, international communication and shared strategies, which build on varying types of expertise, are required to successfully address them. This project is a small step in that direction."

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