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Using Artificial Intelligence, Cali Takes Action Against Dengue

  • The Mayor’s Office of Cali is developing an artificial intelligence-based solution to anticipate outbreaks of and improve public health responses to dengue.
  • The city is moving forward in becoming a smart city by integrating real-time data with institutional response capabilities.
  • The optimization of human and technical resources — through collaboration between public, private, and academic sectors and support from philanthropy — is providing a solution that improves the quality of life for Cali’s residents.
  • With this initiative, Cali is progressing toward a more robust, intelligent, and effective public health model, grounded in data and inter-institutional collaboration.

CALI, COLOMBIA | July 21, 2025 — The Mayor’s Office of Cali, through its Public Health Secretariat, is leading an inter-institutional strategy to reduce the incidence of dengue in the city and strengthen responses to future epidemics. This is particularly relevant for Cali, which reported a dengue incidence rate of 1,520 cases per 100,000 people in the first half of 2024 — far above the national average of 962.4 per 100,000.

Launched in December 2024, the project, Dengue.AI, represents a transformative shift in the city’s public health strategy. By harnessing artificial intelligence and strengthening collaboration between the public, private, and academic sectors, Cali is enhancing its ability to anticipate and prevent future endemic scenarios, reinforcing the city’s resilience against public health challenges and creating a model that could be replicated across other regions and, therefore, Cali joins a select group of countries and cities that have developed similar tools to optimize their response to dengue (Brazil, Mexico, and Singapore).

“We are rebuilding Cali and working toward a smarter, more resilient, and sustainable city. Cali is now nationally recognized for implementing tech-based solutions supported by AI across various public departments. We already have over 10 technological tools — some developed by internal teams and others with the support of national and international partners — covering areas such as risk management, public investment transparency, tax collection optimization, legal process management, wildlife conservation, and data analytics from city observatories,” said Mayor Alejandro Eder.

Technology with purpose

The project is based on a technological system made up of two components:

  • Predictive model: anticipates possible dengue outbreaks in specific areas of the city.
  • Prescriptive model: offers concrete, locally adapted recommendations to guide decisions such as prioritizing multisectoral interventions, promoting community participation, and implementing vector control actions.

Together, these data analytics and AI-driven models aim to enhance institutional response capabilities, optimize resource use, and reduce dengue-related deaths in the most impacted areas.

The predictive model complements the actions already being carried out by the city to inspect, monitor, and control dengue. It uses weather and climate data, as well as information about areas and communities at greater risk. This effort is led by the Mayor’s Office and the Public Health Secretariat, with the goal of more effectively protecting the health of Cali residents.

“With this strategy, we are transforming public health risk management using models that analyze real-time data to anticipate outbreaks and respond swiftly. This strengthens epidemiological surveillance and positions Cali as a national leader,” said Carlos Eduardo Pinzón Flórez, Deputy Secretary for Health Promotion, Prevention, and Social Production of Health.

Collaborative intelligence behind the innovation

This is not just about implementing a tool: it’s about working collaboratively to anticipate risk scenarios weeks in advance, act more efficiently and strategically, and enhance public health knowledge through advanced analytical tools.

“Technology must serve citizens and improve their quality of life. That’s exactly what we are achieving by addressing a public health issue like dengue,” added Mayor Eder, reaffirming the collective responsibility to build a better city.

The strategy is the result of coordinated efforts between various city departments and academic institutions. Key contributors include the Public Health Secretariat, the Administrative Department of Information and Communication Technologies (DATIC), the Administrative Department of Environmental Management (DAGMA), and the Economic Development Secretariat through the Technology Hub.

Additionally, with funding support from The Rockefeller Foundation, two academic institutions — Icesi University’s Interdisciplinary Center for Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (CITRADI) and Universidad del Valle’s School of Public Health — provided technical expertise in AI, epidemiology, and public health, while Cubo Social contributed monitoring, evaluation, and learning services to better understand the impact of the solution.

“The Rockefeller Foundation is proud to provide support that we hope will strengthen and integrate the power of new technology, integrate meteorological data into public health systems, and make their people safer from public health threats,” said Lyana Latorre, Vice President and head of its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Latorre added: “this work enables deep collaboration across sectors needed to address 21st century challenges and offers a blueprint for others in Latin America and beyond.”

Although Cali has implemented a series of public health actions leading to a steady decline in cases and bringing the city into the endemic range, where cases are present but remain stable and predictable, dengue continues to pose a threat.

“We are using artificial intelligence to build a model that helps us predict and prevent future dengue outbreaks. This partnership with Universidad Icesi, and Universidad del Valle, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, has strengthened our Secretariat’s capabilities and allowed us to implement new technologies tailored to local needs, aiming to protect the health of Cali’s residents,” emphasized Germán Escobar Morales, Cali’s Secretary of Health.


About The Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity. Today, we are focused on advancing human opportunity and reversing the climate crisis by transforming systems in food, health, energy, and finance. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.


This press release first appeared in www.cali.gov.co on July 21st, 2025, and is reposted with permission.

  • The Mayor’s Office of Cali is developing an artificial intelligence-based solution to anticipate outbreaks of and improve public health responses to dengue.
  • The city is moving forward in becoming a smart city by integrating real-time data with institutional response capabilities.
  • The optimization of human and technical resources — through collaboration between public, private, and academic sectors and support from philanthropy — is providing a solution that improves the quality of life for Cali’s residents.
  • With this initiative, Cali is progressing toward a more robust, intelligent, and effective public health model, grounded in data and inter-institutional collaboration.

CALI, COLOMBIA | July 21, 2025 — The Mayor’s Office of Cali, through its Public Health Secretariat, is leading an inter-institutional strategy to reduce the incidence of dengue in the city and strengthen responses to future epidemics. This is particularly relevant for Cali, which reported a dengue incidence rate of 1,520 cases per 100,000 people in the first half of 2024 — far above the national average of 962.4 per 100,000.

Launched in December 2024, the project, Dengue.AI, represents a transformative shift in the city’s public health strategy. By harnessing artificial intelligence and strengthening collaboration between the public, private, and academic sectors, Cali is enhancing its ability to anticipate and prevent future endemic scenarios, reinforcing the city’s resilience against public health challenges and creating a model that could be replicated across other regions and, therefore, Cali joins a select group of countries and cities that have developed similar tools to optimize their response to dengue (Brazil, Mexico, and Singapore).

“We are rebuilding Cali and working toward a smarter, more resilient, and sustainable city. Cali is now nationally recognized for implementing tech-based solutions supported by AI across various public departments. We already have over 10 technological tools — some developed by internal teams and others with the support of national and international partners — covering areas such as risk management, public investment transparency, tax collection optimization, legal process management, wildlife conservation, and data analytics from city observatories,” said Mayor Alejandro Eder.

Technology with purpose

The project is based on a technological system made up of two components:

  • Predictive model: anticipates possible dengue outbreaks in specific areas of the city.
  • Prescriptive model: offers concrete, locally adapted recommendations to guide decisions such as prioritizing multisectoral interventions, promoting community participation, and implementing vector control actions.

Together, these data analytics and AI-driven models aim to enhance institutional response capabilities, optimize resource use, and reduce dengue-related deaths in the most impacted areas.

The predictive model complements the actions already being carried out by the city to inspect, monitor, and control dengue. It uses weather and climate data, as well as information about areas and communities at greater risk. This effort is led by the Mayor’s Office and the Public Health Secretariat, with the goal of more effectively protecting the health of Cali residents.

“With this strategy, we are transforming public health risk management using models that analyze real-time data to anticipate outbreaks and respond swiftly. This strengthens epidemiological surveillance and positions Cali as a national leader,” said Carlos Eduardo Pinzón Flórez, Deputy Secretary for Health Promotion, Prevention, and Social Production of Health.

Collaborative intelligence behind the innovation

This is not just about implementing a tool: it’s about working collaboratively to anticipate risk scenarios weeks in advance, act more efficiently and strategically, and enhance public health knowledge through advanced analytical tools.

“Technology must serve citizens and improve their quality of life. That’s exactly what we are achieving by addressing a public health issue like dengue,” added Mayor Eder, reaffirming the collective responsibility to build a better city.

The strategy is the result of coordinated efforts between various city departments and academic institutions. Key contributors include the Public Health Secretariat, the Administrative Department of Information and Communication Technologies (DATIC), the Administrative Department of Environmental Management (DAGMA), and the Economic Development Secretariat through the Technology Hub.

Additionally, with funding support from The Rockefeller Foundation, two academic institutions — Icesi University’s Interdisciplinary Center for Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence (CITRADI) and Universidad del Valle’s School of Public Health — provided technical expertise in AI, epidemiology, and public health, while Cubo Social contributed monitoring, evaluation, and learning services to better understand the impact of the solution.

“The Rockefeller Foundation is proud to provide support that we hope will strengthen and integrate the power of new technology, integrate meteorological data into public health systems, and make their people safer from public health threats,” said Lyana Latorre, Vice President and head of its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Latorre added: “this work enables deep collaboration across sectors needed to address 21st century challenges and offers a blueprint for others in Latin America and beyond.”

Although Cali has implemented a series of public health actions leading to a steady decline in cases and bringing the city into the endemic range, where cases are present but remain stable and predictable, dengue continues to pose a threat.

“We are using artificial intelligence to build a model that helps us predict and prevent future dengue outbreaks. This partnership with Universidad Icesi, and Universidad del Valle, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, has strengthened our Secretariat’s capabilities and allowed us to implement new technologies tailored to local needs, aiming to protect the health of Cali’s residents,” emphasized Germán Escobar Morales, Cali’s Secretary of Health.


About The Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity. Today, we are focused on advancing human opportunity and reversing the climate crisis by transforming systems in food, health, energy, and finance. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.


This press release first appeared in www.cali.gov.co on July 21st, 2025, and is reposted with permission.

Javier Romualdo Perez

The Rockefeller Foundation