As part of ongoing efforts to improve health services and provide dignified care to the people of Liberia, especially in rural Maryland County, Partners In Health (PIH), in collaboration with the Government of Liberia and the Maryland County Health Team, continues to explore various innovations and strategic opportunities.
In rural Liberia, PIH has been piloting artificial intelligence (AI) technology to enhance tuberculosis (TB) symptom screening, identify high-risk individuals without visible symptoms, and improve diagnostic accuracy. AI algorithms achieve high sensitivity and specificity in chest X-ray interpretation, particularly in resource-limited settings such as Maryland County, where radiologists are scarce.
At the 4th International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2025), in Durban, South Africa, PIH, represented by its TB/HIV Lead, Dr. John Paul Otuba, showcased the significant impact of AI in strengthening TB case-finding in rural, resource-limited areas. He presented on the topic: “Impact of Artificial Intelligence on TB Notifications in a Remote Facility in Liberia: A Pre-Post Outcome Comparison Study.”
Dr. John Paul Otuba, the TB/HIV Lead at PIHL, presents at the 4th International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2025) in Durban, South Africa. Photo by Dr. John Paul Otuba/PIHL.
Dr. Otuba stated, “Innovations like this can help Liberia bend the curve of undiagnosed TB and move us closer to ending the epidemic.”
Thanks to its mobile accessibility, the AI tool has helped hospital clinicians at the PIH-supported James Jenkins Dossen (JJD) Memorial Hospital screen for symptoms and make decisions, ensuring timely diagnosis and treatment initiation. Additionally, non-invasive diagnostic tools have improved TB case detection among children, while AI-integrated digital platforms have streamlined automated data collection, reporting, and follow-up.
As the sole hospital in Maryland County, JJ Dossen serves more than 172,000 residents and beyond, providing a lifeline to a community that once struggled with severe shortages of medical supplies and medications.
The CPHIA 2025 was convened by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in partnership with the South African government.
The theme of the conference was “Moving Towards Self-Reliance to Achieve Universal Health Coverage and Health Security in Africa.” It focused on building the continent’s capacity for health sovereignty and resilience through local manufacturing of health products, particularly vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics, to reduce import dependency, innovative and sustainable health financing aimed at enabling African countries to take ownership of their health systems and decrease reliance on external aid; strengthening community-level health systems and leveraging digital tools, including AI and telemedicine, to enhance access and quality of care.
The conference marked a turning point in Africa’s health narrative, shifting from dependency to ownership, with strong calls for measurable commitments and practical implementation rather than mere rhetoric.
Among its many achievements, PIH-L has prioritized combating tuberculosis (TB) by employing innovative technologies for early case detection and treatment, significantly reducing the TB burden in the communities it serves and beyond.
