The hidden cost of AI deployment in public health: Data, training, and trust

By Dr. Sabine Kapasi, CEO at Enira Consulting, Founder of ROPAN Healthcare Pvt Ltd, and UN advisor

AI deployment is often framed as a software challenge, but public health agencies face a far more complex reality. Their workforce spans epidemiologists, field workers, data managers, and community health staff, all with very different levels of digital familiarity. Most AI training efforts remain short term or vendor driven. What is missing is an institutional learning structure that links AI literacy to long term workforce development and incentives.

The key problem is not outright rejection of AI but hesitant and uneven adoption. Public health systems are neither resisting AI nor fully benefiting from it. Many remain stuck in an inefficient middle ground. Policy discussions continue to focus heavily on familiar risks such as privacy breaches, bias, and lack of algorithmic transparency. These concerns are valid. Yet a quieter and more ...