Framework for developing explainable artificial intelligence models for neglected tropical disease diagnosis in low-resource settings
TL;DR
Artificial intelligence has considerable potential to improve NTD diagnosis in low-resource settings, but successful adoption depends on trust, transparency, and usability, so a proposed framework provides a structured pathway for developing explainable AI systems that are technically robust, clinically meaningful, ethically responsible, and implementable within resource-constrained health systems.
Abstract
Background Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) continue to affect more than one billion people globally, disproportionately impacting populations living in low-resource settings characterized by limited diagnostic infrastructure, shortages of trained healthcare personnel, and restricted access to specialist services. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly deep learning and computer vision, have demonstrated significant potential for improving disease detection through the analysis of clinical images and microscopy data. However, despite encouraging diagnostic performance, many AI systems remain difficult to interpret, creating barriers to clinical trust, adoption, regulatory acceptance, and sustainable implementation in endemic regions. Main body This narrative review examines the current landscape of AI applications in NTD diagnosis and critically evaluates the role of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) in addressing challenges associated with transparency and trustworthiness. Evidence from studies involving malaria, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminth infections, leishmaniasis, and skin-related NTDs demonstrates the growing capacity of AI to support diagnostic decision-making in resource-constrained environments. Nevertheless, persistent challenges related to limited datasets, poor data quality, algorithmic bias, model drift, infrastructure constraints, and ethical governance continue to impede translation into routine healthcare practice. Existing explainability approaches, including Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM), heatmaps, Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP), Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME), and attention mechanisms, were reviewed to assess their relevance for NTD diagnostic systems. Framework development Drawing upon current evidence in explainable AI, digital health implementation, and global health systems research, a seven-stage framework is proposed comprising: (1) problem definition, (2) data acquisition, (3) model development, (4) explainability layer integration, (5) clinical validation, (6) deployment in low-resource settings, and (7) continuous learning and monitoring. The framework embeds explainability throughout the AI development lifecycle to enhance transparency, accountability, clinical relevance, and equity. Conclusions Artificial intelligence has considerable potential to improve NTD diagnosis in low-resource settings, but successful adoption depends on trust, transparency, and usability. The proposed framework provides a structured pathway for developing explainable AI systems that are technically robust, clinically meaningful, ethically responsible, and implementable within resource-constrained health systems, thereby supporting future NTD control and elimination efforts.