Rwanda’s vision for data and AI is revolutionizing its services and healthcare system
Rwanda has been grappling with the accessibility and affordability of healthcare while facing ever-rising levels of chronic disease and severe healthcare workforce shortages. The lack of legislation on the protection of data had hampered the country from making the most of new technologies to address the scarcity of healthcare resources.
Approach
Rwanda’s new Protection of Personal Data and Privacy law came into effect after a comprehensive, multistakeholder process initiated by the Rwanda Information Society Authority and the C4IR Rwanda.
Through the C4IR Network, it was possible to convene an experienced group of international experts to support Rwanda and explore what best-in-class legislation for data looks like. The Government of Bahrain was a key partner in this process and shared its own experience in developing similar forward-thinking legislation. The new data law will allow better integration of cutting-edge technology, such as AI, into Rwanda’s existing healthcare system.
In 2020, the World Economic Forum’s Data Policy Platform led a global community of experts in close cooperation with the Bahrain Economic Development Board, to develop A Roadmap for Cross-Border Data Flows. The roadmap reveals world-class, best-practice levers of digitization for governments of all sizes and seeks to reduce barriers to international data flows, which are key to the development of new technologies.
Among the recommendations is the need for countries to develop baseline data protection laws to provide a legal framework for the lawful sharing of personal data.
AI for healthcare.
With a strong foundation in Rwanda’s new Protection of Personal Data and Privacy law, the possibilities of using AI in healthcare can become a reality.
In 2020, the World Economic Forum, working with a global community led by Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings, created a governance framework to facilitate the responsible use of AI in healthcare. The framework, Chatbots RESET, introduces AI to govern the responsible use of chatbots in healthcare. It also contains actions that can be taken by technology developers, medical providers and government regulators to implement the principles.
Supported by the Forum’s Platform for Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, the C4IR Rwanda and Babylon worked closely to select and implement the framework principles.
Babylon allows Rwandans to have a consultation with a doctor or nurse via any mobile device from anywhere in the country, enabling around 4,000 consultations with patients every day. The integration of the AI-powered triage tool into this service has been the next step in digitizing the national healthcare system. The tool is being used by Babylon’s nurses to work more efficiently and make better and quicker decisions for their patients. The AI helps them ask patients the right questions, collect necessary information about their symptoms, and the technology provides insights to help choose the correct triage path.
If a follow-up appointment is needed, the patient information collected on the triage call is passed on to the doctor, saving time for both the clinician and the patient. The tool has been fully localized for Rwanda and accounts for local language, epidemiology, culture and health system pathways.
All the findings of this pilot have been collected in the report, Chatbot Reset Framework: Rwanda AI Triage Pilot.
