Zion Tech Hub Develops AI-Powered Cardiovascular Disease Risk Model to Transform Healthcare in Africa

Illustrative Image: Zion Tech Hub Develops AI-Powered Cardiovascular Disease Risk Model to Transform Healthcare in Africa
Image Source & Credit: World Economic Forum
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In a decisive step toward addressing Africa’s growing cardiovascular health crisis, Zion Tech Hub—one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s leading innovation centers—has announced the launch of a groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) initiative. The project aims to develop a user-friendly AI-powered model capable of accurately assessing an individual’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), marking a major shift toward health-focused technological innovation in a continent where most tech solutions have historically served commerce and finance.

Over the past decade, Africa’s technology ecosystem has undergone a dramatic transformation, growing from fewer than a dozen active innovation hubs in 2010 to over 1,000 thriving centers today. Despite this impressive expansion, healthcare applications—especially in preventive medicine—have received far less attention compared to fintech and e-commerce. This is a significant gap, considering the continent’s rising burden of non-communicable diseases, particularly CVD, which the World Health Organization (WHO) reports accounts for approximately 11% of all deaths in Nigeria. This figure is projected to increase as urbanization, sedentary lifestyles, and dietary changes take hold.

A New Frontier in African Health Innovation

Zion Tech Hub, headquartered in Nigeria, has built a reputation for championing digital advancement with a mission that now goes beyond profit-driven solutions. Founder Godsent Ndoma underscores this paradigm shift:

“While tech hubs in Africa have predominantly served finance and commerce, we believe it’s time to harness AI to address our most urgent health challenges—starting with heart disease.”

The upcoming AI model will be designed to analyze key risk factors—such as age, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, family history, lifestyle habits, and regional epidemiological data—to predict an individual’s likelihood of developing CVD. Importantly, the tool will be optimized for both high-tech urban hospitals and low-resource rural clinics, ensuring accessibility even in remote areas where diagnostic infrastructure is limited.

Global Expertise with Local Insight

To bring this ambitious vision to life, Zion Tech Hub has assembled a team of leading experts from both Africa and the international research community. Among them is Dr. Basil Duwa from the Operational Research Center in Healthcare, Near East University, whose work in predictive machine learning models for cardiovascular health is internationally recognized. His prior research, Implementation of Artificial Intelligence Models for Enhanced Cardiovascular Disease Prediction and Risk Assessments, emphasizes early diagnosis and proactive intervention—both crucial for reducing mortality.

Complementing this expertise is Professor Michael Uzoka from Mount Royal University, Calgary, Canada, whose research in public health computing bridges global technological capabilities with Africa’s local healthcare realities. Their combined experience ensures that the model will be culturally and contextually tailored, reflecting Africa’s diverse populations and health determinants.

Empowering People and Health Systems

One of the leading researchers on the project, Valentine Onyemeziri, stresses that this initiative is about much more than algorithms and data science:

“This is about creating tools that understand the African context and empower healthcare workers and individuals alike.”

The AI-powered model will not only serve clinicians but also provide user-friendly interfaces for non-specialist healthcare workers, enabling quicker decision-making in settings with few doctors. Furthermore, by integrating this technology into community outreach programs, patients themselves can access preliminary risk assessments, fostering preventive lifestyle changes before symptoms emerge.

A Blueprint for AI-Driven Healthcare in Africa

If successful, experts believe this initiative could become a continental blueprint for deploying AI to tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Beyond CVD, similar models could be adapted to address diabetes, cancer, and other major health threats in Africa.

By combining innovation, local expertise, and strategic partnerships, Zion Tech Hub is proving that African-led technology can provide African solutions. This initiative reflects a larger vision: a future where AI not only drives economic growth but also protects and enhances human health—one prediction, one prevention, and one life at a time.

Zion Tech Hub is now inviting stakeholders, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to collaborate in shaping this future. With careful planning and inclusive engagement, this AI-powered cardiovascular risk assessment tool could transform not just the healthcare landscape of Nigeria, but of the entire continent.