AI is Preventing the Next Outbreak
In Colombia, dengue fever is a deadly threat, particularly for children and those without easy access to healthcare. The mosquito-borne virus causes a severe, flu-like illness with a high fever, debilitating pain, and, in serious cases, life-threatening complications. Outbreaks often spread so quickly that by the time people start showing symptoms, it's too late to prevent a crisis. This is especially concerning in Cali, where dengue cases were far more common than elsewhere — about 1,520 cases for every 100,000 people in 2024, compared with a national average of about 937.
Dengue.AI changes that equation by predicting where outbreaks will happen before they begin and bringing together the right decision-makers to take action. By analyzing patterns in climate data, mosquito populations, and past outbreaks, it predicts the next likely outbreak up to three weeks in advance, with 93% accuracy — giving city officials in Cali a crucial head start in protecting lives before the first fever hits. It also recommends highly localized interventions — such as targeted fumigation, household visits, and storm drain cleaning — to optimize the use of public resources and enable faster, more effective responses in highly vulnerable neighborhoods.
Along with our partners at the Mayor’s Office of Cali, Universidad Icesi, and Universidad del Valle, The Rockefeller Foundation helped develop and deploy this AI-powered early warning system. Our collaboration was recently formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding, ensuring the tool will continue to strengthen and transform how the city fights dengue and other diseases in vulnerable communities.
Although this strategy begins in Cali, its lessons, results, and capabilities will lay the foundation for replicating the model in other cities across the country.