Syndemics Galore: What does this mean for ICT and AI in Global Development?

Syndemics are multiple interrelated disease conditions on a global scale that affect ICTs in global development crises. The sporadic and ubiquitous uses of artificial intelligence in these interrelated crises is adding to the syndemics galore. To understand the relationships between syndemics and ICTs and AI in global development, this paper investigates: 1) How does the syndemic relationship among substance abuse, mental health and socio-determinants of health impact the ICT development index? and 2) In what capacity is AI index impacted by the synergistic relationship of substance abuse, mental health problems and socio-determinants of health? The findings confirmed that there is a relationship between syndemics, ICTs in global development and the AI index. This research contributes to knowledge by uncovering the roles of SDOH on the syndemic relationships, IDI index and AI index. This opens up a new area of investigation into these interrelationships in the light of sustainable development projects.