Cancer care AI must be built on African data, Adewole warns
Tolu Adewole of MedServe warns that Africa must develop its own cancer research and data systems to ensure AI-driven healthcare is effective for African patients. He notes that models trained on non-African datasets may lead to inaccurate diagnoses, exacerbating the continent's high cancer mortality rates.
Why it matters
Addressing data bias in medical AI is critical for global health equity, especially in regions with distinct genetic and environmental health profiles.
… Africa accounts for about 7.4% of global cancer cases but 61% of cancer deaths
… 20 African countries have no linear accelerator for cancer treatment
… AI trained on non-African data may produce inaccurate diagnosis and treatment recommendations
TOLU Adewole, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of MedServe, a healthcare infrastructure company established by the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA has warned that Africa must build its own cancer data and research systems if artificial intelligence, AI and precision medicine are to significantly improve cancer outcomes on the continent,
Adewole, delivering the keynote address at a two-day symposium on “New Frontiers in Cancer Care: Leveraging AI, Precision Medicine and Innovative Research in Africa,” at the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU on Wednesday said that said Africa could not afford to simply import technologies developed from datasets that did not adequately represent African patients.
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