MPSur: AI-Powered Mpox Surveillance in Ethiopia
Photo Credit: Feepik
Overview
Mpox is an escalating public health threat in Ethiopia, where weak surveillance infrastructure, geographic remoteness, and delayed outbreak detection leave communities , particularly those in rural areas exposed. For health workers operating far from central facilities, the gap between an emerging case and an official response can cost lives.
MPSur bridges that gap. Deployed across 10–15 health facilities by Jimma University, the integrated app combines AI-driven case detection with mathematical modelling to support real-time Mpox surveillance and response, it works offline, ensuring rural facilities are never left out of the picture. In a system built for the realities of low-resource settings, MPSur captured 315 suspected cases and identified a surge in transmission ahead of traditional reporting systems during May–July 2025.
The project lead now sits on Ethiopia's National AI-for-Health Technical Working Group and co-drafted two national AI governance frameworks embedding the tool's evidence base directly into the policy architecture shaping how Ethiopia responds to future outbreaks.