AI Can Transform Public Health Only With Skills, Ethics And Equity: Experts At CCMB

Speaking at an event at the city-based centre, Dr N. Krishna Reddy of Access Health International highlighted how AI could bridge communication gaps in healthcare.

“Most health education material is in English or Hindi, while patients speak local languages and dialects. AI can translate the same message into a form that people can understand, perceive and act upon, leading to real behaviour change,” he said, citing pilot projects being tested in Chhattisgarh for health literacy and behaviour change communication.

Dr Reddy also pointed to the use of AI and big data analytics during the Covid-19 pandemic, where mobility data helped detect disease surges even before official announcements. He cautioned that the tools used during crises cannot be straightaway applied in normal times. “In emergencies, privacy norms are relaxed, but in routine public health systems data protection becomes critical. This dichotomy needs careful revalidation and regulation,” he said.

Stressing that technology alone was not enough, Dr Reddy said India must realistically assess its digital health maturity. “If we don’t have trained human resources who understand AI and its unintended harms, technology can do more damage than good. Like a knife, AI can save lives in skilled hands or harm in unskilled ones,” he remarked, warning about rising anxiety caused by unregulated digital health tools.

Dr Suresh Munuswamy, dean and professor at the School of Digital Health, Malla Reddy Vishwavidyapeeth, said innovative AI tools could support continuous care beyond occasional doctor visits. “Indians visit doctors barely twice a year.

If we can reliably monitor health daily and give feedback, outcomes can dramatically improve,” he said, explaining how icon-based, language-free interfaces and short visual videos helped identify thousands of new cases of lymphatic filariasis in communities.

Dr Madhusudhana Rao of AIC-CCMB said the larger goal of such discussions was to find solutions to reach rural populations. “Our agenda is to use AI to assist rural communities in understanding health better and accessing care through technology-driven solutions,” he said.