As part of our health innovation and capacity-building outreach, we delivered a session titled “Using Machine Learning Challenges to Improve Disease Treatment.” The outreach introduced participants to how machine learning and data-driven challenges can support smarter approaches to disease treatment. The session was facilitated using a PowerPoint presentation designed to explain complex health-technology concepts in a simple and accessible way.

About the Outreach Session

The outreach session focused on transforming real health problems into structured machine learning challenges. Using the PowerPoint slides, facilitators explained why treating diseases can be difficult and how data-driven approaches can support better decision-making.

Key topics covered in the presentation included:

• Why disease treatment is complex due to varying symptoms and patient responses
• How machine learning helps computers learn from health data and identify patterns
• What machine learning challenges are and how they encourage innovation and teamwork
• Examples of health-focused challenges such as predicting disease progression and treatment outcomes
• The importance of ethical data use, privacy, fairness, and transparency

The session emphasized that machine learning tools are designed to support healthcare professionals, not replace them.

Why This Outreach Matters

Many health challenges persist because large volumes of medical data are difficult to analyze using traditional methods. This outreach highlights how machine learning challenges create opportunities for learning, collaboration, and innovation in healthcare.

By introducing participants to challenge-based problem solving, the outreach:

• Encourages critical thinking and practical innovation
• Builds skills in data and health technology
• Promotes ethical and responsible use of health data
• Inspires students, NYSC members, and early-career researchers to contribute to health solutions

Empowering learners to explore health challenges through technology helps build a more innovative and responsive healthcare ecosystem.

Download the Presentation Slides

The PowerPoint presentation used during this outreach is available for download and can be used for learning, teaching, or health innovation discussions

👉 Download “Using Machine Learning Challenges to Improve Disease Treatment” (PowerPoint)