Foundations & Futures: Reimagining Public Health in the Artificial Intelligence Era

Foundations & Futures: Reimagining Public Health in the Artificial Intelligence Era explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping what public health systems can see, understand and do. Across the Global South, countries are assessing how AI can detect risks earlier, allocate resources more effectively and extend the reach of care. Yet the report makes clear that the true measure of AI’s promise lies in the strength of the foundations beneath it: the data, governance and institutional practices that determine whether innovation endures.

Drawing on interviews, a landscape scan of nearly 200 AI-related public health use cases and a readiness scan across 63 countries, the analysis shows a consistent pattern: AI readiness is about system readiness. Countries with interoperable, trusted data ecosystems are better positioned to scale AI responsibly, while fragmented systems struggle to institutionalize impact.

The central finding is clear: AI cannot compensate for weak systems. Getting the foundations right will determine whether AI strengthens durable public health intelligence or deepens fragmentation and inequities.

This Version 2.0 represents an incremental update incorporating external feedback, expert consultation and initial country-level insights, with a final version expected in the third quarter of 2026.