Brasília, Brazil – July 29 – 31, 2025 Against the backdrop of intensifying climate emergencies and rising global health challenges, the Global South-led network AI4PEP (Artificial Intelligence for Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Response) brought a vital voice to the 5th Global Conference on Health and Climate hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO).
AI4PEP was featured in the conference’s renowned Ideas Lab Digital Showcase, presenting: “AI4PEP – AI for Climate-Resilient Health Systems across the Global South”. AI4PEP had the opportunity to share how the network is driving innovation where it’s most urgently needed in the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions. Spotlighting how AI4PEP is driving equitable, AI-powered public health solutions across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East regions most impacted by the overlapping crises of climate change and health system fragility.
As global temperatures rise and climate extremes become more frequent, healthcare systems, particularly in the Global South, are increasingly stretched. Fragile infrastructure, limited resources, and outbreaks of climate-sensitive diseases like dengue, cholera, and malaria are compounding the pressure.
AI4PEP’s presentation highlighted this critical juncture and offered a hopeful, tech-enabled response: a growing network of AI and public health experts across 19 countries working together to co-create digital tools for better disease surveillance, earlier outbreak detection, and more equitable health interventions.
A Southern-Led, Community-Centered Vision
AI4PEP’s model is grounded in community participation, gender equity, and interdisciplinary collaboration, principles echoed throughout the WHO conference. Their digital showcase underscored how the initiative is helping health workers and ministries of health across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East predict and prevent disease outbreaks before they spiral into full-blown emergencies.
The network’s innovations include:
- AI-powered early warning systems for malaria, dengue, cholera, and TB
- Real-time disease modeling to inform public health policy
- Scalable, open-source health tools tailored to local contexts
Through these tools, AI4PEP supports governments and communities in building climate-resilient, adaptive health systems, especially where resources are most constrained.
Bridging Climate, Health, and Technology: South Africa’s SACAQM Deployment
A powerful example of this vision in action comes from South Africa, where AI4PEP’s partner project, SACAQM (South African Climate and Air Quality Monitoring), is advancing environmental surveillance as a key part of climate-responsive health strategies by deploying air quality monitoring systems. These data-generating devices are helping communities and policymakers understand how air quality affects respiratory illnesses and other health outcomes, especially in communities already burdened by climate change. By connecting environmental and public health data, AI4PEP is contributing to a growing ecosystem of integrated digital health systems that reflect the lived realities of the Global South.
A Seat at the Global Table
AI4PEP’s presence at this conference demonstrated the growing recognition of Global South expertise and Southern-led innovation in tackling planetary health challenges. This moment also contributed to broader discussions informing the upcoming Belém Health Action Plan, where themes of inclusion and digital transformation are expected to be key.
Looking Ahead
With momentum growing and visibility rising, AI4PEP is poised to continue expanding its impact, not by exporting one-size-fits-all solutions, but by supporting locally grounded approaches to digital health transformation. As climate challenges escalate, networks like AI4PEP offer a path forward: collaborative, courageous, and deeply committed to health equity across borders.
To learn more or get involved, visit www.ai4pep.org or follow AI4PEP-Global South AI for Pandemic Network on LinkedIn and X
