Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Three student projects out of ten from the University of Juba have won national awards for their creative use of artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle health and language-related challenges in South Sudan.
The innovations were presented during an AI Showcase organized by the university in partnership with the National Communications Authority (NCA).
The award-winning projects were on early lung cancer detection, language recognition, and identifying signs of depression and suicide.
Judges said the technologies showed strong potential to deliver real-world benefits, especially in underserved communities.
Speaking at the event, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Juba, Professor Robert Mayom, said AI can help improve access to medical care, particularly for people living with disabilities who often face barriers to reaching health or security services.
“In case the detection is real and correct… sometimes they would say, ‘Oh, this man died of malaria,’ and then give the wrong drugs,” Professor Mayom said.
“But with proper detection, if it’s real and accurate, you get the right diagnosis and the right treatment. That makes a difference. And part of the problem is with disabilities — some people just can’t reach the doctor or the police, especially in time.”
The event also drew attention to the need for data protection frameworks in South Sudan.
Dr. Margaret Labanya, Director of Corporate Affairs at the National Communications Authority, emphasized that digital innovations must be backed by strong cybersecurity and data laws to prevent misuse and ensure integrity.
“All this knowledge needs to be protected,” said Dr. Labanya.
“I keep saying we need a cybersecurity law in place, not just wait until we lose service or face a crisis. We cannot talk about digital transactions without data centers or without a protection law. We must start acting now, even before the legal framework is finalized.”
Lelian Aban, Deputy Dean of the School of Computer Science and Information Technology, said the showcase aimed to align student innovation with national development goals in health, governance, and the economy.
“To those who graduated, the next big thing is data,” Aban said.
“Let’s think about projects that solve real issues, like the economic crisis we’re facing. How can we use AI to analyze, detect, predict, and offer real solutions for our country?”
The three officials delivered their remarks on state television SSBC, as the AI showcase concluded yesterday in Juba.
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