Data science and artificial intelligence can help prevent outbreaks COVID-19? This is the focus of the research of an Argentine project, coordinated by the Interdisciplinary Center for the Studies of Science, Technology and Innovation (Cecti), which – which It was selected from more than 150 proposals from around the world and will receive funding from Canada and Sweden.

The project is called Arphai (in Argentinean English for General Research on Data Science and Artificial Intelligence for Epidemic Prevention) and its goal is to develop tools, models and recommendations that help predict and manage such epidemic events as Covid-19, but are replicable with other viruses.

The initiative originated from Ciecti – a civic association set up by the National University of Quilmes (UNQ) and the Latin American College of Social Sciences (FLACSO Argentina) – and was selected along with eight other proposals based in Africa, Latin America and Asia. In Latin America only two were selected: Arphai in Argentina and another project in Colombia.

Based on this recognition, it will be funded by the International Development Research Center (Idrc) in Canada and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), under the Global South AI4COVID programme.

How is the Arphai project?

The project is coordinated by Ciecti and involves the Planning and Policy Secretariat of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the National Information Systems Directorate of the Access to Health Secretariat of the Argentine Ministry of Health.

Researchers are also working on the initiative, Technical teams from the public administration and members of 19 institutions, including universities and research centers, in six Argentine provinces and the city of Buenos Aires.

The main goal is to develop technological tools based on artificial intelligence and data science, which are applied to electronic medical records (EHR), and allow to anticipate and detect potential epidemic outbreaks and favor preventive decision-making in the field of public health regarding Covid-19.

Among the tasks carried out, progress was also made on a pilot project to implement the electronic medical record designed by the Ministry of Health (Health History Integrated – HSI) in the health networks of two municipalities on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, in order to synthesize learning and learning. Design an escalation strategy at the national level.

Another goal is to prioritize the perspective of equity, particularly gender, a criterion expressed in efforts to mitigate biases in developed prototypes (models, algorithms), in analysis and concern for the databases used and their diverse configuration. Teams: 60% of the project is made up of women, many of whom are in leadership positions.

Arphai operates under strict standards of confidentiality, protection and anonymity of data and is endorsed by the Ethics Committee of the National University of Quilmes (UNQ).