Richard Bahizire Riziki is an epidemiologist, infodemic manager, and lecturer-researcher at ISTM Nyangezi (Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo), and a PhD candidate in Public Health at the University of Lubumbashi. His research examines the syndemic interactions between HIV, COVID-19, and the infodemic, focusing on the living conditions and care pathways of people living with HIV and progress towards the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets. Building on this work, he explores how artificial intelligence-assisted infodemic intelligence can strengthen early warning, risk communication, and evidence-informed decision-making for epidemic preparedness. With over 15 years of experience in HIV, immunisation, epidemiological surveillance, and health emergencies, he is a former WHO consultant and currently serves as Technical Advisor for an OIF-supported infodemic management project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea. His interests include implementation science, digital epidemiology, AI, and resilient health systems.

"In the digital age, information has become a determinant of health. Harnessing artificial intelligence to understand information ecosystems can transform how we ecosystems can transform how we anticipate, prevent, and respond to future health crises."