Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Gates Foundation and OpenAI are setting up a $50 million partnership to help several African countries use artificial intelligence to improve their health systems and mitigate the impact of international aid cuts, Bill Gates said on January 21. The partnership, called Horizon1000, plans to work with African leaders to determine how best to use the technology, starting with Rwanda, according to a Reuters report.
“In poorer countries with enormous health worker shortages and lack of health systems infrastructure, AI can be a gamechanger in expanding access to quality care,” said Gates in a blog post announcing the launch.
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.
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 per cent last year compared to 2024, the Gates Foundation has estimated.
1000 PHCs
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,” adding that the technology would revolutionise healthcare. The foundation has already set up a number of AI initiatives, while Rwanda last year established an AI health hub in Kigali.
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 highincome countries. 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 to the healthcare provider.
