Prosper Okoye
Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has said artificial intelligence could transform healthcare delivery across Africa, potentially making clinics “twice as efficient” by easing pressure on overstretched health systems.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Gates said AI tools were already being deployed at the level of individual patients, allowing people to explain their symptoms in local languages and receive more accurate care.
“So the patient is able to talk in their local language and describe what’s going on,” he said, adding that the technology could help improve both access to care and treatment quality.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelMr Gates was speaking about Horizon 1000, a $50m initiative launched by the Gates Foundation in partnership with OpenAI.
The project aims to support 1,000 primary healthcare clinics across Africa by reducing paperwork, improving diagnosis and helping health workers manage limited resources.
“The goal is to make the work there much higher quality and, if possible, twice as efficient as it is today,” he said.
He added that AI could take on administrative tasks and support clinical decision-making in countries facing severe shortages of doctors and nurses, freeing health workers to focus more on patient care.
Rwanda is expected to be the first country to benefit from the initiative, with plans to extend the programme to Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria. Mr Gates described Rwanda as a strong partner with a clear commitment to digital innovation.
Rwanda’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Paula Ingabire, said technology was now central to government policy and service delivery.
“For us, technology is central to everything that we do,” she said.
Ms Ingabire pointed to the use of AI-enabled drones to map malaria hotspots, predictive models to identify mosquito breeding sites, and AI-powered ultrasound tools to improve maternal health outcomes.
She said community health workers, who handle most malaria cases each year, were being equipped with AI decision-support tools to improve diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
“If diagnostics is one of the biggest pain points, then the question becomes where AI and other emerging technologies can help solve that,” she said.
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Beyond healthcare, Rwanda is also applying AI in agriculture and education to address supply shortages, demand forecasting and service delivery gaps.
Mr Gates said rapid adoption of AI could allow developing countries to leapfrog traditional systems and, in some cases, move faster than wealthier nations.
“I would expect developing-world health may even get ahead of the rich world because the need is so great and governments are embracing this,” he said.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
