African women innovators are deploying artificial intelligence (AI) and smart technologies to tackle some of the continent’s most persistent health and agricultural challenges, demonstrating the transformative potential of technology to improve lives and strengthen food systems.
Women Innovators Drive Technology Solutions
Two innovators from Uganda and Rwanda showcased technologies developed to address pressing local challenges during a webinar hosted through the Africa Science Dialogue, highlighting the growing role of women in developing digital solutions for the continent’s health and food systems.
AI Speeds Up Disease Diagnosis in Uganda
In Uganda, where diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and cervical cancer continue to place pressure on the health system, getting an accurate diagnosis can take hours or longer, particularly in health facilities with limited laboratory expertise. That is why Dr. Rose Nakasi, a researcher at the Makerere AI Health Lab and Lecturer at Makerere University, is leading a team of innovators in developing AI-powered tools to make disease diagnosis faster and more consistent.
“One of the key contributors to some of increased severity of this burden is that we lack simple, rapid, accessible and accurate diagnostics,” said Dr. Nakasi.
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Smartphones and Microscopes Power AI Diagnostics
Using an ocular system, the researchers are combining microscopes, smartphones and AI to automate diagnosis of diseases including malaria, tuberculosis and cervical cancer. The system uses a 3D-printable adapter to connect a smartphone to a microscope, allowing images of patient samples to be captured and analyzed by AI models trained to detect disease-causing pathogens.
“If a disease is not accurately diagnosed, you are not going to get the right treatment, you are not going to get the right care,” Nakasi said.
Early Results Show High Diagnostic Accuracy
Early results from the technology have been promising. According to the researchers, the malaria model has achieved 92% specificity, while the cervical cancer model has surpassed 94% accuracy.
Beyond the laboratory, this technology is already being introduced into Uganda’s health system. More than 150 laboratory technicians and 10 pathologists have been trained to use this ocular system, with the project working across more than 35 health facilities in Uganda.
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Smart Technology Transforms Potato Farming
In Rwanda, Clémence Uwamutarambirwa, an agroforester and innovator, is applying smart technology to a different challenge – helping farmers manage potato production more efficiently.
Her Smart Potato Greenhouse Technology combines sensors, cloud-based analytics and a mobile application to allow farmers and greenhouse managers to monitor growing conditions remotely.
Sensors Enable Remote Farm Management
Sensors installed in greenhouse beds continuously track temperature, humidity and soil moisture. “The information is transmitted to a cloud platform for analysis, while farmers receive updates and alerts on their mobile phones and can remotely manage irrigation,” said Uwamutarambirwa.
The technology also supports hydroponic production, where plants are grown using water-based nutrient solutions rather than conventional soil. “This soil-less technique yields higher potato seed output, conserves water resources and insulates crops against soil-borne pathogens,” she explained.
Uwamutarambirwa said feedback from greenhouse managers showed that the technology was making it easier to monitor production remotely, manage temperature and humidity and improve security of produce.
Local Innovation Addresses African Challenges
The two innovations illustrate how African researchers are adapting emerging technologies to local challenges rather than simply importing solutions developed elsewhere.
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Women Need Broader Support in Science and Technology
Dr. Margaret Karembu, Director of ISAAA AfriCenter and Chair of Africa Women for Biosciences (AWfB), said expanding women’s participation in emerging technologies would require support beyond women themselves.
“Increasing women’s participation in science and technology cannot be viewed as a responsibility for women alone. The support of men – as colleagues, supervisors, mentors, partners, institutional leaders and policymakers – is critical,” Karembu said.
She called for stronger networks and opportunities for women interested in science and innovation, including those who may not have formal training in biosciences.
“I want to emphasize something very important: you do not have to be a bio-scientist to belong in AWfB,” she said.
Science Dialogue Brings Diverse Stakeholders Together
More than 50 participants – including early-career scientists, agricultural researchers, policymakers, farmers, journalists, academics and industry representatives – attended the webinar.
