LEADING academic publisher, Routledge, has published Guyanese scholar Professor Prem Misir’s latest book, ‘Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare’, placing critical focus on the intersection of technology, ethics and inequality in modern medicine.
The publication marks a significant milestone for Misir, whose work interrogates how artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation are reshaping healthcare systems, while raising urgent questions about governance, accountability and human rights.
Through a strong sociological lens, the book examines the growing role of AI in public health and medicine, while exposing structural imbalances in how these technologies are designed and deployed across different social groups. It highlights disparities linked to class, race, gender and power, arguing that without deliberate intervention, AI risks reinforcing existing inequalities.
Published by Routledge, the work also evaluates current ethical standards and regulatory approaches in healthcare, identifying gaps in oversight and implementation that could undermine the benefits of AI-driven interventions.
Professor Misir advances a new governance framework rooted in social and behavioural sciences, aimed at ensuring that ethical considerations and human rights are embedded at every stage of AI development and deployment.
He had previously noted that while global institutions such as the World Health Organization have recognised AI’s potential to transform healthcare delivery and improve access—particularly in developing countries—those gains will remain limited without strong ethical safeguards.
The book further argues that much of the current research on AI in global health lacks sufficient ethical and regulatory grounding, raising concerns about its real-world applicability and long-term impact.
Positioned as both a scholarly and policy-driven contribution, the publication is expected to serve as a key resource for academics, healthcare professionals and policymakers navigating the rapid integration of emerging technologies into health systems.
Dr Misir is Adjunct in the Doctor of Executive Leadership and Master of Public Health programmes at the University of Lynchburg, Adjunct in Sociology and Public Health at Trinity Washington University, and Advisor to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Government of Guyana. He previously served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Fiji; Pro Vice-Chancellor and Professor and Head of the School of Public Health at the Solomon Islands Campus of the University of the South Pacific; and Pro-Chancellor of the University of Guyana.
With AI accelerating its footprint in healthcare, this latest publication signals a clear direction: innovation must be matched by robust frameworks that safeguard equity, accountability and human rights.
