SAMRC and UCT Unveil AI Unit to Target Cancer, Diabetes, TB, and HIV

In August 2026, the South African Medical Research Council and the University of Cape Town introduced an AI for African Population Health Unit. This unit intends to develop machine learning models that will be trained on African clinical and biomedical data. This initiative addresses the issues of the use of data in training the automation models that the healthcare ecosystem seldom encounters in real life.

The unit began its operations in August 2026 at UCT’s Computational Biology Division in the Faculty of Health Sciences. It is being led by Nicola Mulder. This unit is one of the seven new Extramural Research Units, and 2 of them are based at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The SAMRC/UCT Discovery Neuroscience Children’s Unit that focuses on acute brain conditions. Currently, SAMRC operates 30 units in South African and international science councils, medical colleges, universities, and research institutions.

According to Nicola Mulder, this unit intends to develop, test, and execute AI and machine learning platforms customized according to African population health data. The clinical targets cover both non-communicable and infectious diseases. In the non-communicable disease segment, the tools aim to enhance early detection rates of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. For infectious diseases, it concentrates on better diagnostics, risk assessment, and clinical management of tuberculosis, HIV, and malaria. The unit also intends to identify appropriate biomarkers, enhance the accuracy of diagnosis, and support customized therapeutic preferences in African patients and healthcare environments.

Impact on the Healthcare Industry

According to Precedence Research, the launch of the AI for African Population Health Unit is expected to positively impact the healthcare industry. This is due to the fact that it facilitates the development of automation models that are suited for the African population. These models will be specifically trained on African population health datasets.

It will help in the development of customized treatments and medications for various diseases. This is an important development as the African people are significantly underserved in terms of healthcare facilities. The development of digital healthcare platforms will allow them to access remote healthcare facilities.

Impact on the Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Market

The global artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare market size is valued at USD 36.96 billion in 2025 and is predicted to increase from USD 51.20 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 744.34 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 35.02% from 2026 to 2035.

According to Precedence Research, the introduction of the AI for African Population Health Unit is expected to benefit the artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare market as it boosts the usage of automation technologies in medical workflows. The AI for African Population Health Unit will develop machine learning models that would be trained on African population health data. This will propel the adoption of AI technologies in the healthcare sector in Africa. It will help patients receive personalized treatments and medications.

Impact on the Cloud Computing Market

The global cloud computing market size was estimated at USD 912.77 billion in 2025 and is predicted to increase from USD 1,106.28 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 5,946.84 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 20.61% from 2026 to 2035.

According to Precedence Research, the launch of the AI for African Population Health Unit is expected to positively impact the cloud computing market. This is owing to the fact that it will develop machine learning models for use in the healthcare sector in Africa. Healthcare is a heavily regulated sector where organizations have to adhere to stringent data privacy regulations.

Such organizations use cloud infrastructure to store the data, either in a private cloud or a hybrid cloud setup. In a private cloud setup, the organization has full control over the data, whereas in a hybrid cloud setup, it keeps sensitive data on a private server and general data in a public server. They also need cloud computing facilities to provide the necessary computing power for the operations of automation models.

About South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)

South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) conducts research on maternal, newborn and child health, HIV/AIDS and TB, non-communicable diseases, and interpersonal violence. The SAMRC was founded in 1969 and is committed to improving the health of the people in Africa through research, innovation, development, and knowledge transfer.

The SAMRC is the largest local investor in health research, medical diagnostics, medical devices, and therapeutics. They focus on next-generation healthcare technologies, which include genome research, the development of new treatments, vaccine development, diagnosis platforms, and research on new drugs and equipment.