Gates Foundation, OpenAI Unveil $50M AI Health Initiative For Africa

The Gates Foundation and OpenAI have unveiled a $50 million artificial intelligence programme aimed at boosting primary healthcare delivery across Africa, beginning in Rwanda, as many countries struggle with severe shortages of medical personnel.

The initiative, known as Horizon1000, was announced on Wednesday and will involve the deployment of AI-enabled tools in primary healthcare facilities to assist frontline health workers and expand patient access to services. The partners emphasised that the technology is designed to augment, rather than substitute, human clinicians.

Through the programme, the Gates Foundation and OpenAI will commit funding, technology and technical expertise to accelerate the adoption of AI across healthcare systems, with an ambition to reach 1,000 primary healthcare clinics and their surrounding communities by 2028.

Bill Gates said the project would be carried out in close partnership with African governments as they test and scale the use of AI in healthcare. He noted that the rollout will start in Rwanda, where the health system operates with about one healthcare worker per 1,000 people, significantly below the World Health Organization’s recommended threshold.

The initiative dovetails with Rwanda’s 4×4 Reform, a national policy aimed at raising the number of health workers to four per 1,000 people. Gates also cited the recent establishment of an AI-powered Health Intelligence Center in Kigali, announced by Health Minister Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, as a critical step toward improving the efficiency of limited healthcare resources.

According to the partners, Horizon1000 will prioritise the deployment of AI tools across clinics, communities and households to support health workers in areas such as patient triage, clinical decision-making and communication in local languages.

The project will connect AI tools with multiple healthcare platforms across participating clinics to evaluate effectiveness, with the potential to extend the model beyond Africa to other markets, including India.

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said the programme underscores a wider obligation to ensure AI generates tangible social benefits. He added that while AI is emerging as a major scientific advance, its lasting impact will be determined by how well it is used to enhance people’s lives.