RECENTLY, a friend sent me a medical report following a life-threatening pregnancy and asked for help understanding it. While much of the report was clear, some handwritten notes and medical terms were difficult to interpret. After removing all identifying information, I uploaded the report to ChatGPT. To my surprise, it provided a detailed explanation that clarified terminologies and confirmed many of my initial assumptions.

Later, her physician confirmed the interpretation. The experience left me wondering: if artificial intelligence (AI) can help make sense of complex medical information in seconds, what role could it play in helping us detect and prevent disease outbreaks?

These questions are especially relevant in Jamaica.

We are no strangers to dengue alerts, mosquito-control campaigns, and concerns about leptospirosis following periods of heavy rainfall and flooding. As climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events, an important question emerges. What if we could identify where the next outbreak is most likely to occur before the first warning is issued? What if we could move from reacting to outbreaks to anticipating them?

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa demonstrated how quickly an emerging disease can spread and become a global threat, highlighting the importance of strong surveillance systems and early detection.

For Jamaica, the question is urgent. If a highly infectious disease were introduced today, would we detect it early enough to contain it, or would we respond only after it has begun to spread?

Across the Caribbean and in countries such as the United States, public health agencies are increasingly using AI and geographic information systems (GIS) to strengthen disease surveillance. GIS helps map disease patterns, while AI analyses large amounts of information to identify trends and potential risks. Together, these tools are helping transform surveillance from recording what happened yesterday into one that helps predict what may happen tomorrow.

Modern surveillance systems can combine health data with rainfall, temperature, population density, and environmental conditions to identify communities at increased risk of outbreaks. Closer to home, Caribbean Public Health Agency and the Pan American Health Organization are supporting Caribbean countries in strengthening digital surveillance. As Jamaica modernises its public health infrastructure, AI and GIS offer an opportunity to improve preparedness, target interventions, and better protect communities from emerging health threats.

The possibilities are significant.

Consider leptospirosis, a disease often associated with flooding and exposure to water contaminated by rodent urine, experienced after Hurricane Melissa in 2025. By combining maps of flood-prone communities with disease reports and environmental information, health officials could identify areas at greatest risk and target prevention efforts more effectively.

The same approach could be applied to mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika. Rainfall patterns, standing water, population density, and previous disease activity can all be mapped to identify communities where outbreaks are more likely to occur.

In this way, GIS allows the map to tell a story. But where does AI fit into the picture?

If GIS shows where disease is occurring, AI helps answer the question: what might happen next?

By analysing years of disease reports, weather trends, environmental conditions, and movement patterns, AI can identify signals that suggest an outbreak may be developing. These computer models can help public health teams act earlier, direct resources more efficiently, and strengthen preparedness efforts. The potential benefits for Jamaica are substantial; beyond protecting health, early detection systems can reduce health-care costs, minimise productivity losses, and strengthen Jamaica’s resilience to climate-related health emergencies.

However, technology alone is not the answer.

Jamaica must also address important challenges. We need reliable systems that allow health information to be shared across agencies, trained professionals who can work with geographic and health data, and safeguards to ensure that patient information remains secure. Equally important, new technologies must be used ethically and responsibly. Technology should support human decision-making, not replace it.

The future of public health in Jamaica will not be defined solely by hospitals, medicines, or emergency response teams. It will be shaped by how effectively we connect data, geography, climate, animal health, and human behaviour into a single system of prevention.

Jamaica has long been recognised for innovation in public health. As the country advances its digital transformation agenda and Vision 2030 goals, investments in AI-enabled public health surveillance could become an important pillar of national resilience.

The question now is whether we will invest in the tools, expertise, and partnerships needed to predict outbreaks before they occur. In an era of climate change, emerging diseases, and rapid global travel, preparedness may no longer be a luxury; instead, it may be our most important public health intervention.

When the map speaks, will we be ready to listen?

Stephanie D Mullings, EdD, MPH, BPharm is a senior lecturer at the University of Technology, Jamaica.