The OECD.AI Policy Navigator

The project will help develop a central objective for the national sanitary policy: promoting quality and equitable access to public health services despite gender, age, economic or geographic conditions.

This initiative is part of a national strategy in health, science, technology, and innovation, explicitly supported by two key national ministries responsible for these areas. The National Government, which oversees the federal health system, is responsible for implementing measures to build a more efficient, balanced, and equitable system across all Argentine provinces.The project was designed in response to the emergency crisis caused by COVID-19. Its goal is to equip the National Health System with new technological capabilities to better manage health crises.In Argentina, the first COVID-19 case was registered on March 3, 2020. By early July, there were 1,490 deaths and over 75,000 infections. The infection rate grew rapidly in poor neighborhoods where overcrowding and fragile living conditions made it difficult to maintain hygiene and social distancing. The pandemic also had a differential impact on men and women's ability to exercise their right to health, increasing vulnerability for women due to factors such as rising domestic violence, a higher proportion of female health workers exposed to infection, and socially assigned caregiving roles predominantly shouldered by women.Besides COVID-19, Argentina faces other epidemic outbreaks. Since early 2019, there has been the most extensive measles outbreak since the virus was eliminated in 2000, with nearly 200 cases. Dengue fever also put the National Health Surveillance System on alert, with over 51,000 local cases and 1,000 imported cases between 2019 and 2020”marking the largest outbreak in the country's history. Dengue mainly affects the most vulnerable and disadvantaged provinces, including Jujuy, Salta, Misiones, and Tucum¡n. In Buenos Aires, over half of the cases occurred in vulnerable neighborhoods. These social, environmental, and health determinants directly influence the effectiveness of epidemiological surveillance.Early detection of outbreaks is a major health policy challenge. It is essential because:Preventive actions help avoid the spread of infectious diseases.Early detection allows health systems to prepare and respond effectively.Alerts can be issued to other provinces and the wider Latin American region.Early diagnosis leads to better treatment outcomes.New technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and the analysis of large, high-quality datasets, have proven highly effective in predicting potential epidemic outbreaks globally and in the region.The initiative aims to develop a national system that uses AI and electronic medical records to detect pandemics and epidemic outbreaks at an early stage, enabling faster and more effective responses.

Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mincyt) | Ministry of Health (MinSal) | Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Science, Technology and Innovation (CIECTI) | Sadosky Foundation