The Gates Foundation and OpenAI have launched a $50 million partnership aimed at deploying artificial intelligence across healthcare systems in Africa, starting with Rwanda.
The initiative, known as Horizon1000, seeks to support 1,000 primary healthcare clinics by 2028, providing AI-powered tools to help manage administrative tasks such as medical transcription and documentation.
The programme comes at a time when traditional Western foreign aid to Africa has been significantly reduced, positioning artificial intelligence as a potential alternative model for delivering essential services more efficiently in resource-constrained settings.
Rwanda has been selected as the pilot country due to its severe shortage of healthcare workers and its government’s reputation for adopting technology-driven solutions. The country’s health system is expected to serve as a testing ground for how AI can help overstretched clinics improve service delivery and patient care.
Supporters of the initiative say AI tools could help stretch limited healthcare resources, reduce administrative burdens on clinicians and modernise care delivery in understaffed systems.
However, critics have raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of deploying advanced technology in regions where infrastructure can be unreliable and budgets for maintenance and technical support are limited.
Despite these concerns, the partners believe the project could demonstrate how emerging technologies can complement existing healthcare systems and offer new pathways for strengthening primary care across the continent.
