Meet Jane Odum, Nigerian-Born PhD Student Developing Offline AI Tool for Healthcare

Nigerian-born PhD student Jane Odum has developed EpiCast, an offline AI-powered healthcare tool designed to help health workers collect, translate and manage clinical information in communities with limited internet access.

The mobile application can process spoken information, translate local languages and organise health data without relying on cloud services, making it suitable for use in areas with poor digital infrastructure.

Odum said the idea for EpiCast was inspired by challenges faced by under-resourced healthcare systems during outbreaks such as Ebola and COVID-19. She noted that the tool aims to make healthcare data collection more accessible in communities where internet connectivity is unreliable or unavailable.

Her innovation recently earned recognition in the MedGemma Impact Challenge, where EpiCast received a $30,000 prize for its potential to improve healthcare access in underserved communities.

By developing technology that can operate without continuous internet access, Odum is exploring how artificial intelligence can be applied to address real-world healthcare challenges, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas.

Experts say tools like EpiCast could support frontline health workers in disease surveillance, patient record keeping and community health reporting, while reducing delays caused by poor connectivity.

The recognition has been welcomed as a significant step for Nigerian innovation in health technology, with potential applications across Africa and other regions facing similar infrastructure gaps.