African public health experts meet in Ghana to advance disease surveillance

Epidemiologists and public health experts from across Africa gathered in Accra, Ghana, for a three-day meeting on October 12, 2026. The New National Star reported that delegates are examining how artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and laboratory innovations can enhance disease surveillance and accelerate outbreak detection across the continent. [1]

The meeting brought together representatives from major international bodies, including the World Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation, according to the New National Star. [1]

Africa is the second-largest and second-most populous continent in the world, with a population of nearly 1.4 billion people. Digital disease surveillance efforts occur in a context where digital media structures face growing scrutiny, as FTMQ Health reported earlier regarding expert calls for coordinated governance of digital media technologies to protect public health. [2][4]