AI can bridge language and trust gaps in African public health, says researcher

A Nigerian communication researcher, Gbemisola Simbiat Odejide, says artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to significantly improve how public health information is communicated across Africa, particularly during emergencies when language barriers and trust issues often hinder effective responses.

Odejide, a Communication Master’s student at North Dakota State University, United States, said integrating AI into public health systems could transform disease surveillance, crisis communication and service delivery across the continent.

Her research focuses on the intersection of political communication, crisis communication and artificial intelligence, with particular interest in how emerging platforms shape public response to crisis situations.

According to her, the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria highlighted the complexity of communicating risk information in societies where trust in institutions is often fragile.

“It wasn’t just about the virus itself, it was how people were trying to understand what was going on,” she said.

“There was a lot of information coming from official sources, but at the same time, many people were turning to platforms like WhatsApp for updates.”

Odejide explained that many individuals relied on informal networks not necessarily because the information was more accurate, but because it came from familiar and trusted sources.

“People were hearing information from friends, family and community groups, and that shaped how they responded to the crisis,” she said.

She noted that this experience raised important questions about why official crisis communication sometimes fails to achieve its intended impact.

“That’s really where my interest in trust began, trying to understand what happens when people rely on alternative sources of information instead of official communication,” she added.

Odejide said language accessibility remains a major challenge in public health communication across many African countries.

“In Nigeria, English is the official language, but it’s not always the language people are most comfortable using in their everyday lives,” she said.

“So when crisis information is shared only in English, it can already create a barrier.”

According to her, crisis communication is not just about translating messages but ensuring people can meaningfully connect with the information being shared.

“Sometimes the language used is too formal or it doesn’t reflect how people actually communicate. If someone receives a message but cannot fully connect with it or interpret it correctly, then the communication hasn’t really reached them,” she said.

Odejide explained that AI-powered tools could help address some of these challenges by improving accessibility and responsiveness in communication systems.

“One example is translation. AI can take a message and quickly adapt it into different languages, which is really important in places where there are many local languages,” she said.

She added that AI-driven chatbots and digital platforms could also provide real-time responses to questions during emergencies, enabling people to access verified information without waiting for official announcements.

“There are also systems like chatbots that can respond to questions during a crisis, helping people get information in real time,” she said.

The researcher, however, cautioned that technology alone cannot solve communication challenges if public trust in institutions remains weak.

“If people don’t trust the source of the message, even a well-adapted message might not be effective. So AI has to work alongside human understanding and local context,” she said.

Odejide also emphasised the importance of community-based communication structures in strengthening public health messaging across Africa.

She said many communities already rely heavily on trusted networks such as religious leaders, community leaders and social groups to interpret and spread information during crises.

“People are more likely to accept information when it comes from individuals they already trust, rather than just from formal institutions,” she said.

According to her, integrating these trusted networks into formal crisis communication strategies could significantly improve the effectiveness of public health messaging.

“Those communication channels already exist in many communities across Africa, but they are not always integrated into official crisis communication systems,” she added.

Odejide said her research critically examines how AI is currently being integrated into Africa’s public health communication and surveillance systems and seeks to identify what works, for whom and under what conditions.

She noted that the integration of AI into public health systems represents a major shift that could redefine how health emergencies are managed.

“The goal is to understand how these technologies can be used responsibly to improve access to information while still respecting the realities of local communities,” she said.

According to her, combining technological innovation with community trust and culturally relevant communication could significantly strengthen public health responses across Africa.