Wits and York in link-up to tackle Covid-19 in Africa

THE Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence and Public Health Data Modelling Consortium has secured a $1.25 million (R18.3m) grant from the International Development and Research Centre (IDRC) for the predictive modelling and forecasting of the transmission of Covid-19 in Africa using artificial intelligence.

The consortium will be co-chaired by Professor Jianhong Wu of York University and Professor Bruce Mellado of the University of the Witwatersrand.

It will build on an existing South African-led Covid-19 dashboard developed by Mellado’s Institute for Collider Particle Physics, and transmission models and simulation technologies that have been developed both at York University and the University of the Witwatersrand. These technologies have been widely adopted by government agencies and international organisations in recent months, including the Gauteng Department of Health.

Mellado said: “Particle physics harnesses large amounts of data and uses artificial intelligence to understand the data. These skills are transferable to the problem-solving of complex systems, such as the modelling of the pandemic or future crises.

“Artificial intelligence, through machine learning, provides a unique set of tools and methodologies that allows analysts to learn from it. This is essential in solving complex modelling problems,” he said. “We view this exercise as a form of technology transfer revolving around skills and knowledge developed in solving problems of fundamental interactions in nature. In solving these problems we are also able to create an ecosystem of knowledge in artificial intelligence that feeds back into particle physics as well.”

“The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted life as we know it, but it has also galvanised our rapid adaptation to change and the adoption of new technologies,” says Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, incoming vice-chancellor and principal of Wits.

“Wits is proud to collaborate with leading scholars from York University on this multidisciplinary project to develop new technologies to strengthen the fight against Covid-19.

“This important and timely collaboration will combine York’s research strength in disease modelling, global health, artificial intelligence and emergency management with AI and modelling expertise in Africa,” says Rhonda L Lenton, president and vice-chancellor of York University.

Professor Jude Kong, an assistant professor in the department of mathematics and statistics in the Faculty of Science and a member of the National Covid-19 Modelling Rapid Response Task Force at York, is the Canadian Principal Investigator.

“Working with organisations in Africa, we will develop models and simulations of Covid-19 that are relevant to specific cities and the areas adjacent to them,” says Kong.

“This will give municipal and national health authorities and policy-makers from across Africa the practical tools they need to suppress subsequent waves of infections or mitigate their impact.

“It will enable us to look at the effectiveness of public health interventions.”