Kabelo Leonard Mauco, PhD, MSc
International Scholar
- Digital Health Scholar
- Botswana | United Arab Emirates
- Artificial Intelligence | Bioethics | Digital Epidemiology | Digital Health Technologies | Global Health Security | Health Informatics | Implementation research
Languages: English (Advanced), Setswana (Native)
Bio statement
Dr. Kabelo Leonard Mauco Digital Health Scholar | Visiting Scholar, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research (UAE) | General Secretary, Health Informatics Association of Botswana
Dr. Kabelo Leonard Mauco is a digital health scholar working at the intersection of technology, people, and healthcare, with a dedicated focus on optimizing these interactions to enhance the quality of healthcare delivery. He holds a PhD in digital health, and his research interests span digital epidemiology, global health security, and the ethical, sustainable implementation of digital health technologies — including AI in healthcare — with particular attention to ensuring these advances do not widen existing health inequities in Global South and low-resource settings.
Dr. Mauco's work has taken him across Botswana, the United States, Sweden, and the UAE. As a Fulbright Scholar (2022–2023), he spent five months as a visiting scholar hosted by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where he contributed to the establishment of the Global Health Informatics Initiative, providing insights on effective implementation strategies for digital health in the context of developing countries. He is currently a lecturer and researcher at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, in the Department of Learning, Informatics, Management, and Ethics (LIME), and serves as a Visiting Scholar at the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research in the UAE.
Previously, he served as a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow in the Department of Health Information Management at Botho University in Gaborone, Botswana. He currently serves as General Secretary of the Health Informatics Association of Botswana. Dr. Mauco also contributes to the broader academic community as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Medical Internet Research, Digital Health (SAGE Journals), and Frontiers in Digital Health.
Recent global health projects
Dr. Mauco was awarded a Faculty Research Grant by the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research (UAE, 2025), fully funding his research on assessing the artificial intelligence readiness of public health institutions and users in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. This work aligns with the UAE's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031, with the ultimate aim of generating evidence-based recommendations to support AI adoption within the health sector.
He is also currently completing a book manuscript under a publishing agreement with Springer Nature, focused on AI and healthcare in the context of the Global South. Intended for scholars, policymakers, and innovators, the book provides guidance, practical insights, and contextual background on the responsible design and implementation of AI in healthcare across Global South settings.
Selected publications
Elizabeth A. Campbell; Felix Holl; Oliver J. Bear Don't Walk IV; Badisa Mosesane; Andrew S. Kanter; Hamish Fraser; Amanda L. Joseph; Judy Wawira Gichoya; Kabelo Leonard Mauco; Sansanee Craig. (2025). Gaps and pathways to success in global health informatics academic collaborations: reflecting on current practices . JMIR Medical Informatics. doi: 10.2196/67326.
Mauco KL, Holmes JH, Luberti A, Mosesane B. (2026). Experts' opinion on sustainable use of digital health tools for effective future pandemic preparedness and response: Questionnaire study.JMIR Public Health and Surveillance. 10/04/2026:84164 (forthcoming/in press). doi: 10.2196/84164
Ndlovu K, Mauco K, Makhura O, Hu R, Motlogelwa N, Masizana A, Lo E, Mphoyakgosi T, Moyo S
Experiences, Lessons, and Challenges With Adapting REDCap for COVID-19 Laboratory Data Management in a Resource-Limited Country: Descriptive Study JMIR Form Res 2024;8:e50897 URL: https://formative.jmir.org/2024/1/e50897 DOI: 10.2196/50897
Ndlovu K, Mauco KL, Keetile M, Kadimo K, Senyatso RY, Ntebela D, Valela B, Murambi C. Acceptance of the District Health Information System Version 2 Platform for Malaria Case-Based Surveillance By Health Care Workers in Botswana: Web-Based Survey. JMIR Form Res. 2022 Mar 15;6(3):e32722. doi: 10.2196/32722. PMID: 35289760; PMCID: PMC8965668.
Mauco, K L, Scott, R E, Mars, M. (2021). Development of a conceptual framework for e-health readiness assessment in the context of developing countries. In Maeder A, Higa C, van den Berg M & Gough C (Eds.), Telehealth innovations in remote healthcare services delivery: Global telehealth 2020. (pp. 68-77). Amsterdam, Netherlands: IOS Press BV
Mauco, KL, Scott, RE, & Mars, M. (2020). Validation of an e-health readiness assessment framework for developing countries. BMC Health Services Research, 20:575. doi: 10.1186/s12913-020-05448-3
Mauco, K L, Scott, R E, Mars, M. (2019). Development of an ehealth readiness assessment framework for Botswana and other developing countries: Interview Study. JMIR Medical Informatics, 7, e12949. doi: 10.2196/12949.
Last Updated: 15 May 2026