The initiative aims to reach 1,000 primary care facilities and surrounding communities by 2028, supporting doctors and medical staff in everyday clinical and administrative tasks. According to the announcement, AI is expected to assist with pre-visit guidance, patient registration, triage, medical record-keeping, and the delivery of basic health information—particularly in settings where healthcare infrastructure and workforce capacity are limited.
Organizers say the program responds to severe staffing shortages in sub-Saharan Africa, a region estimated to face a deficit of around six million healthcare workers. Bill Gates emphasized that AI could become a “critical tool” in countries with limited numbers of specialists, helping to reduce administrative and clinical burdens on staff while improving the quality and accessibility of care.
The program will begin in Rwanda in part because the country has already established an artificial intelligence health center in Kigali, designed to foster local health and technology innovation. Rwanda’s Minister for ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, highlighted the potential of AI to ease the workload of healthcare workers and improve care quality, especially given heavy administrative demands and persistent workforce shortages.
The initiative comes at a time when many low- and middle-income countries are experiencing declines in traditional international health aid, a trend that the Gates Foundation says has contributed to setbacks in preventing avoidable child deaths. The partnership with OpenAI is therefore intended not only to provide technological tools, but also to work with African leaders on how best to integrate them into national healthcare systems.
Horizon1000 places strong emphasis on using AI to support, rather than replace, healthcare workers, and on tailoring technology to local conditions and capacities. The partners also stressed that successful implementation will require careful consideration of local infrastructure, data availability, and policy frameworks, to ensure that AI tools are safe, effective, and aligned with the needs of the communities they are meant to serve.
