Smart Healthcare // The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Achieving SDG 3

Smart Healthcare // The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Achieving SDG 3

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool revolutionizing various industries, and the healthcare sector is no exception. 

Thus, AI can be useful in addressing some health and well-being-related challenges by accelerating the attainment of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3), namely Good health and well-being.

With the increasing challenges in healthcare delivery and the global commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages, AI is playing a pivotal role in transforming healthcare systems worldwide. 

How AI Helps health care

The possible applications of AI in health care are extensive, reaching from drug development and imaging to insurance and patient care. 

Precision medicine takes into consideration a person’s genetic makeup, environment, and lifestyle to deliver personalized care and treatment. 

Therapeutic science repurposes already available drugs for other uses and comes into play in scenarios such as public health emergencies where there is no time to develop a new drug from scratch. 

AI can also help with more mundane tasks: An estimated 30% of healthcare costs are associated with administrative tasks, which can be made easier through automation. 

Furthermore, machine learning can carefully process more data than human healthcare workers, giving AI technologies a leg up in the early detection of diseases. 

For example, a new system created by Johns Hopkins University detects sepsis hours earlier than traditional methods and reduces the chance of patient death by 20%. 

Sepsis, usually caused by infection, is easy to miss in a crowded emergency room as it presents with common, nonspecific symptoms such as fever and confusion. 

Johns Hopkins’s AI system processes a patient’s medical history, current symptoms, and most recent lab results to warn providers when a patient is at risk for sepsis. 

Outside of the emergency room, AI can help with drug development and finding cures for rare diseases. 

UK-based startup Healx uses AI to match drugs that have passed clinical trials with rare diseases they could possibly treat. 

With the cost of developing a prescription drug rising 145% since 2003 to a staggering $2.6B, using machine learning to repurpose existing drug trials could save time, money, and, most importantly, lives. 

Coming closer home, another company BYON8, welcomes the next generation of healthcare: neo health, a digital healthcare ecosystem and is powered by artificial intelligence.

BYON8 who is our member at Nairobi Garage // Spring Valley was founded in 2017 in Sweden by doctors, mathematicians, and programmers. 

The goal was to make high-quality healthcare more accessible, affordable and equal by digitalizing healthcare on an individual level. 

The BYON8 app was developed as a result of over 4 years of medical research and development launching in late 2020.

In addition, AI technologies can help with early diagnosis, imaging, emergency call triage, and much more.

This article explores the significance of AI in smart healthcare and its contributions to achieving SDG 3.

Enhancing Diagnosis and Treatment: AI-powered algorithms have the potential to improve diagnostic accuracy, enable early detection of diseases, and provide personalized treatment plans. 

Machine learning algorithms can analyze vast amounts of medical data, including electronic health records, medical images, and genetic information, to identify patterns and make accurate predictions. 

This capability aids in faster and more accurate diagnoses, leading to improved patient outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.

Empowering Remote Healthcare: AI enables the development of remote healthcare systems, making quality healthcare accessible to underserved communities. 

Through telemedicine, AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide basic medical consultations, assist in symptom triage, and offer medication reminders. 

Additionally, wearable devices equipped with AI algorithms can monitor vital signs, detect anomalies, and alert healthcare providers in real time. 

These advancements bridge the geographical gap, particularly in rural areas, and promote the goal of universal healthcare.

Preventive Care and Population Health: AI algorithms can analyze large datasets to identify patterns and risk factors, allowing for proactive and preventive interventions. 

By integrating various data sources, such as social determinants of health, environmental factors, and genetic information, 

AI can help predict disease outbreaks, detect epidemics early, and develop effective prevention strategies. 

This approach supports population health management, which is essential for achieving SDG 3 by preventing diseases and promoting well-being on a larger scale.

Streamlining Healthcare Operations: Efficient healthcare operations are crucial for delivering timely and cost-effective care. AI-powered solutions streamline administrative tasks, automate repetitive processes, and optimize resource allocation. 

Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms can analyze medical records and extract relevant information, reducing administrative burdens on healthcare professionals.

AI-based scheduling systems can optimize patient appointments, minimize wait times, and enhance the overall patient experience. 

By reducing inefficiencies, AI allows healthcare providers to focus more on patient care.

Ethical Considerations and Challenges: While the potential of AI in smart healthcare is immense, ethical considerations and challenges must be addressed. 

Patient data privacy, algorithm transparency, and ensuring AI’s accountability are crucial aspects that need careful attention. 

The ethical development and deployment of AI in healthcare must prioritize patient autonomy, fairness, and trust to ensure the technology’s responsible and beneficial use.

Conclusion

Artificial Intelligence has become an indispensable tool in advancing smart healthcare and supporting the achievement of SDG 3.

From accurate diagnoses to remote healthcare solutions and population health management, AI’s applications are diverse and impactful.

Embracing AI while addressing ethical concerns will help optimize healthcare delivery, improve patient outcomes, and contribute to the global effort of ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all. 

As we move forward, a collaboration between healthcare professionals, policymakers, and technology experts will be crucial in harnessing the full potential of AI for smart healthcare and achieving SDG 3.