Artificial Intelligence Gap Impeding Healthcare Advancements in the Global South

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare worldwide, improving diagnostic accuracy, optimizing treatments, and enhancing patient outcomes. Despite these benefits, recent research indicates that AI-driven healthcare innovations are predominantly accessible in the Global North, leaving many regions in the Global South at a disadvantage. A comprehensive study published in Digital Health highlights the persistent disparities in AI adoption across different income regions, emphasizing the challenges faced by low- and middle-income countries.

Led by researchers from the University of Sharjah in collaboration with esteemed U.S. institutions, the study reviews recent developments from 2022 to 2025, shedding light on the contributions and obstacles associated with AI in healthcare within the Global South. While high-income nations leverage machine learning, robotics, and telemedicine to tackle disease detection, drug delivery, and healthcare accessibility, these technologies are scarcely implemented in less developed countries.

The research underscores a significant "AI divide" between the Global North—comprising Europe, North America, and other industrialized regions—and the Global South, which includes Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This divide hampers efforts toward equitable healthcare, as technological gaps perpetuate existing health disparities and restrict access to innovative solutions.

The study emphasizes that AI's potential to improve disease tracking, support telehealth, and facilitate preventive medicine remains largely unrealized in low-resource settings. Barriers to adoption include inadequate infrastructure, limited local expertise, and data biases stemming from datasets primarily collected in high-income countries. Additionally, unreliable internet, inconsistent electricity, and a shortage of skilled AI professionals further hinder progress.

Financial constraints also play a significant role, as deploying and maintaining AI systems necessitate substantial investment. There is a notable lack of partnership and investment from Western AI biotech companies in the Global South, often resulting in one-way technology transfers that fail to foster local capacity. This cycle contributes to ongoing talent drain, underfunded research, and technological gaps.

To address these challenges, the authors advocate for more equitable international collaborations, focusing on capacity building, local innovation, and culturally adapted AI solutions. Strengthening data interoperability, ensuring data security, and training local healthcare workers are crucial steps toward sustainable AI integration. Moreover, establishing global regulations can promote transparency, safety, and fairness in AI healthcare applications.

Lead researcher Dr. Syed Hussain highlights that existing AI tools developed in affluent countries must be carefully adapted to respect local disease profiles and infrastructural realities. The study calls for a concerted effort to digitize health data, reduce biases, and foster genuine partnerships that benefit both high- and low-income regions. By doing so, AI has the potential to bridge healthcare gaps and promote health equity across the globe.

Source: Medical Xpress