The Gates Foundation and OpenAI have launched a 50 million dollar partnership to help African countries use artificial intelligence to strengthen health systems.

The initiative is called Horizon1000. It aims to support governments in improving healthcare delivery amid sharp international aid cuts.

Bill Gates announced the partnership on Wednesday. He said the programme will begin in Rwanda and expand to other African countries.

According to Gates, the partnership will work closely with African leaders to identify where OpenAI powered technologies can have the most impact. The focus will be on countries facing severe shortages of healthcare workers and weak health infrastructure.

In a blog post, Gates said artificial intelligence could be a gamechanger in expanding access to quality care in poorer countries.

Speaking to Reuters in Davos, Gates warned that global health progress had slowed. This followed international aid cuts and the first rise in preventable child deaths this century.

International aid reductions began with the United States in early 2025. They later spread to major donors including Britain and Germany. As a result, global development assistance for health fell by nearly 27 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, according to estimates by the Gates Foundation.

Gates said OpenAI driven innovation could help countries recover from these setbacks. He added that artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionise healthcare delivery worldwide.

He also said the foundation is committed to ensuring that this technological shift reaches poorer countries as quickly as richer ones.

Meanwhile, the Gates Foundation has already launched several AI related health initiatives. Rwanda also established an AI health hub in Kigali last year.

Rwanda’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, said the focus is on responsible use of AI. She said the goal is to reduce pressure on healthcare workers, improve care quality, and reach more patients.

Horizon1000 plans to reach 1,000 primary healthcare clinics and surrounding communities across multiple African countries by 2028.

Gates noted that some countries have only one doctor for every 50,000 people, even in major cities. This is far below the ratio seen in high income countries.

He said the initiative is likely to prioritise care for pregnant women and people living with HIV. In particular, AI tools could provide guidance before patients reach clinics, especially when language barriers exist.

Once patients arrive, OpenAI enabled systems could help reduce paperwork. They could also connect patient histories and appointment records more efficiently.

As a result, Gates said a typical clinic visit could become nearly twice as fast, while also delivering better quality care.

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