RESUMEN
The region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is diverse and retains a superior growth potential. It benefits from a privileged geographical location with big markets, a young and growing educated population, and competitive advantages in several industries. Regardless of their differences, countries face shared concerns, most notably in health. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MENA countries enact reforms to create a more robust and inclusive digital health systems to increase growth, development, and integrity. Throughout the coordinated containment and mitigation efforts, most of the countries have integrated digital technologies into the health systems. These procedures include digital government initiatives, the introduction of digital health training courses, live video surgeries and virtual patient monitoring, rural and remote telemedicine programs, and the development of a national electronic health records (EHR) system. Each country took necessary actions to address equity, literacy, and development of resilient health systems. The nine featured countries in this report illustrate the diversity among the MENA region and account for major opportunities and achievements as well as promises and challenges that digital health presents for its populations. © 2022 IMIA and Georg Thieme Verlag KG.
RESUMEN
The world is witnessing unprecedented times as the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has already conquered and locked down most of the globe. While some indications suggest that the COVID-19 curve is starting to flatten, as of May 2020, we still see constant linear growth in cases and fatalities. Even worse, it is speculated that the situation may further deteriorate with a possible second wave. As governments around the world continue to impose increasingly stringent measures to fight and limit the spread of the pandemic, Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can play a significant role in the public health surveillance and diagnostics relating to COVID-19. AI is being heavily leveraged in the diagnosis of COVID-19, prediction of its severity for infection, and the discovery of related drugs and vaccines. However, several challenges can impede the exploitation of AI amid the COVID-19 pandemic such as lack of data, privacy, and maturity of AI applications. This chapter discusses the main AI opportunities and challenges in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.