Data science competition platform Zindi and Ghana-based education organisation Runmila AI Institute have launched two initiatives to flesh out potential artificial intelligence- (AI-) and data-science-based solutions to the current Covid-19 pandemic.

The viral disease has spread across the world at an alarming rate since December, with well over 300 000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, over 10 000 reported deaths around the world and about 100 000 recoveries by late March.

In Africa, more than 1 400 cases were registered at the time of writing, with a relatively slow spread across the continent that experts believe will rapidly change in the near future.

The effects of Covid-19 have yet to emerge as the situation continues to evolve rapidly.

“With this challenge, we hope to contribute to the global body of knowledge which will help stem the impact of pandemics such as this one, as well as those in the future,” members of Africa’s AI community say.

Zindi points out that accurate modelling of the spread of viral diseases such as Covid-19 is critical for policymakers and health workers to take appropriate action to contain and mitigate the impact of these diseases.

In line with this, the challenge, launched mid-March, requests data scientists on Zindi to build an epidemiological model that accurately predicts the spread of Covid-19 throughout the world over the next few months.

Solutions will be evaluated against future data.

Applications for the challenge, sponsored by the Artificial Intelligence for Development in Africa (AI4D-Africa) project and titled AI4D Predict the Global Spread of Covid-19, will close on April 19.

At the end of the challenge, participants with solutions that place first will receive a $2 500 prize, while second- and third-placed data science practitioners will receive $1 500 and $1 000 respectively for their solutions.

Meanwhile, Accra-based Runmila AI Institute had initially planned to host the Runmila AI4Covid-19 Hackathon and AI Research Fellowship Event at the University of Ghana on March 21 in an effort to use AI and data science to combat Covid-19 in Ghana and Africa.

The event, in collaboration with minoHealth AI Labs, had since been suspended, with the group opting to halt the in-person hackathon in favour of working online on the AI4Covid-19 project and continuing the engagement with Runmila AI fellowship applicants and interested parties.

“With the announcement by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on March 15 around measures to combat the fast-spreading Covid-19 virus, we want our community to play its part and leverage data science and AI to help model the spread of the Covid-19 virus,” says AI Expo Africa cofounder Dr Nick Bradshaw.

These two platforms and associated challenges will contribute to the global body of knowledge to help combat Covid-19.