In 2024, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to John Jumper and Demis Hassabis, the brilliant minds behind AlphaFold 3. It’s not every day that a scientific breakthrough is so impactful it could change the way we approach healthcare. This deep-learning neural network can now predict the structure of every known protein. A process that once took months or even years, now completed in a fraction of the time. This kind of advancement could reshape everything from vaccine development to cancer research and drug discovery, accelerating solutions to some of the most pressing healthcare challenges.
But here’s where it gets even more exciting: what if this technology could not only accelerate research but directly impact how we experience healthcare? Imagine a world where every individual has their own personal healthcare assistant powered by AI. One that understands your medical history, interprets global research, and gives precise, real-time guidance. It’s a future that feels increasingly possible, and for regions like Africa, where healthcare systems are stretched thin, this kind of innovation could be a lifeline. The potential for AI and NLP to bridge these gaps is vast, and with it comes the hope for a future where better healthcare is not just a dream but a reality for everyone.
Luckily, artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the face of healthcare. In various parts of Africa, companies use NLP to handle patient information, improve diagnoses, support medical decisions, and boost research in biotechnology and medicines. These advancements are helping to tackle significant healthcare challenges and lead to better health for communities in sectors like:
Clinical Documentation
NLP can automate the creation and comprehension of clinical documentation. NLP tools transcribe and organize medical communications, saving healthcare providers time and improving the accuracy of patient records.
- AfyaRekod in Kenya uses AI and blockchain technology to ensure patient data is secure and easily retrievable, facilitating better clinical decisions.
- Afya Intelligence in Tanzania transforms healthcare data into predictive analytics, supporting data-driven decision-making.
- Intron Health tackles the challenges of automatic speech recognition for African accents in the medical field, enhancing the accuracy of AI-powered tools.
- HearX Group is dedicated to making hearing healthcare accessible by offering the world’s first clinical smartphone hearing test solutions.
Empowering Informed Clinical Decisions
AI can help individuals and healthcare professionals make more informed clinical decisions. NLP can extract, synthesize, and analyze patient data from various texts and sources to provide actionable insights tailored to specific patients or communities.
- MomConnect, developed by Ada Health in South Africa, provides new mothers with prenatal and postnatal information through SMS and WhatsApp chatbots. Users can explore a rich library of resources or respond to questions based on validated AI protocols backed by Ada’s industry-leading medical knowledge of symptoms and conditions.
“This initiative has not only empowered women but has also made remarkable strides in reducing maternal mortality and promoting healthy practices. As we look to the future, we are committed to reaching five million more mothers, working hand in hand with our partners, healthcare professionals, and communities to ensure every mother has access to the vital support she deserves. Together, let’s shape a healthier future for our next generation,” stated Gauteng MEC for Health, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko.
- Jacaranda Health in Kenya has the PROMPTS platform, which uses SMS messages and an AI-powered helpdesk to provide timely information and referrals, improving maternal health outcomes for expectant mothers.
- Elsa Health in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, employs AI-powered algorithms to predict a patient’s adherence to medication and assist in patient triage, helping healthcare providers make informed diagnostic and treatment decisions.
- The Aurum Institute in South Africa offers a wide range of services, including using AI and NLP to track and predict disease outbreaks. With extensive experience conducting over 200 clinical trials and research studies, they develop decision-making tools for clinicians related to tuberculosis, AIDS, and antibiotic resistance.
Accelerating Biotech Research and Diagnostics
In what promises to be the first of many Nobel Prize-worthy discoveries made by AI, AlphaFold 3 helps scientists predict protein structures more efficiently. NLP enhances the efficiency of biotech research and diagnostics by sifting through vast amounts of scientific literature, including research articles and clinical trials, to extract relevant information on genes, proteins, and pathways. Based on the literature and experimental results, NLP can also identify relationships such as gene-disease associations or drug-target interactions. Additionally, NLP is well-suited for annotating biological databases and curating information, ensuring that databases remain updated and accurate.
- IndyGeneUS in Kenya is leveraging AI and blockchain technology to develop a repository for clinical data.
- Proteinea, based in Cairo, Egypt, integrates deep learning models with experimental throughput to make the design of biotherapeutics smarter, safer, and faster. Their approach employs reinforcement learning editors, deep learning-based fitness landscape reconstructors, and rational design frameworks.
Improving Diagnostic Accuracy and Speed
NLP enhances both the accuracy and speed of medical diagnoses. AI can analyze vast amounts of data in various formats—ranging from text to speech to images—and extract vital information, making accurate medical diagnoses more accessible.
- A notable application of NLP in this field is in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative and mental disorders. Neurologs, a company established in Tunisia in 2023, offers tools for diagnosis, treatment recommendations, and research, particularly for mental health conditions. Their solution uses the human voice to conduct cognitive tests for early detection of mental health issues, utilising speech processing to analyze the patient’s natural spoken language and map it to specific health conditions.
- AI can also assist in early cancer detection. IvyGene Labs in Pretoria, South Africa, uses a small blood sample to test for cancer as early as stage 1. Similarly, Yemaachi Biotech in Accra, Ghana, employs AI in combination with immunogenomics and bioinformatics for cancer detection.
- Other companies, such as Chestify AI, Intixel, Medsol AI, and Mino Health, utilize AI to analyze imaging and video data, making radiology diagnoses more accurate, faster, and accessible.
Improving drug safety and accessibility
According to the UN, counterfeit drugs kill nearly 500,000 people annually in Sub-Saharan Africa, and there is limited availability of genuine drugs. NLP can play a crucial role in ensuring drug safety and accessibility.
- RxAll employs NLP in its platform to process user inquiries and identify counterfeit drugs by interpreting data from various sources regarding medication authenticity.
- 10mg Pharma leverages NLP to analyze patient data and optimize medication management, ensuring chronic pain patients receive timely access to necessary medications.
- Famasi Africa utilizes NLP to enhance user interaction on their digital platform, providing personalized support and medication reminders through automated communication.
The use of NLP by companies across Africa underscores the potential of AI to transform healthcare and improve lives. As AI technology evolves, we can expect more groundbreaking applications of NLP in the African healthcare landscape, leading to accelerated medical research, more accurate diagnoses, better clinical decisions, more effective treatments, and improved drug safety and accessibility. Future applications may include personalized medicine, remote patient monitoring, and AI-powered drug discovery. The ongoing development and implementation of NLP solutions in Africa promise better healthcare outcomes for all on the continent.
About Lanfrica
Lanfrica is a platform that aggregates resources on African languages, making them easily discoverable and accessible. We believe that by connecting and linking these resources, we can help researchers avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts and thus foster greater collaboration. This, in turn, will lead to more development of language technologies that respect and leverage the unique characteristics of African languages. Follow us on X(formerly Twitter), LinkedIn or join the community Slack channel to become part of this journey!