Gates Foundation and OpenAI's $50m push for AI health in Africa

Image credit: Reuters/Caitlin Ochs/File Photo

The partnership, called Horizon1000, plans to work with African leaders to determine how best to use the technology, starting with Rwanda.

"In poorer countries with enormous health worker shortages and lack of health systems infrastructure, AI can be a game-changer in expanding access to quality care," said Gates in a blog post announcing the launch.

Speaking to Reuters in Davos, Gates said AI had the potential to help get the world back on track after international aid funding cuts last year were followed by the first rise in preventable child deaths this century.

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Coping with cuts

International aid cuts began with the US at the beginning of 2025, but spread to other major donors like Britain and Germany. Overall, global development assistance for health fell by just under 27% last year compared to 2024, the Gates Foundation has estimated.

AI could be particularly valuable in countries hit by these cuts, Gates said.

"Using innovation, using AI, I think we can get back on track," he told Reuters, adding that the technology would revolutionise healthcare.

"Our commitment is that that revolution will at least happen in the poor countries as quickly as it happens in the rich countries."

Reaching patients

The foundation has already set up a number of AI initiatives, while Rwanda last year established an AI health hub in Kigali.

"It is about using AI responsibly to reduce the burden on healthcare workers, to improve the quality of care, and to reach more patients," Paula Ingabire, Rwanda's minister of information and communications technology and innovation, said in a video statement.

Horizon1000 aims to reach 1,000 primary health clinics and surrounding communities across several countries by 2028, Gates said, adding that some countries have only one doctor per 50,000 people even in big urban areas - far below the ratio in most high-income countries.

Gates told Reuters that the initiative would likely focus on improving care for pregnant women and HIV patients, by supporting them with advice before they reached the clinic, particularly if they spoke a different language from the healthcare provider.

On arrival, AI would help reduce paperwork and link up patient histories and appointments more effectively, he added.

"A typical visit, we think, can be about twice as fast and much better quality," he said.