Google.org Awards $2.5m for Clinical AI Deployment in Nigeria

Nigerian health technology startup, Helium Health, has secured a $2.5 million grant from Google.org to deploy clinical AI models in primary maternal healthcare in Nigeria. This funding makes Helium Health one of 15 global recipients in the $30 million Google.org Impact Challenge: AI for Government Innovation, which supports organizations collaborating with governments to improve public services.

In addition to the grant, Helium Health will participate in a Google.org Accelerator, receiving guidance from Google engineers and AI product experts.

Helium Health CEO, Dimeji Sofowora, expressed gratitude for the opportunity, stating that the company has been working on healthcare delivery improvements across Africa for the past decade. The organization has already reached over 3.5 million women through their maternal health initiatives, and the Google.org grant will help them build on this foundation and scale their efforts to reach even more women with quality maternal healthcare.

Dr. Shona Oluwatola, Head of Public Health at Helium Health, highlighted Nigeria's alarming maternal mortality rate, accounting for nearly three out of every ten maternal deaths globally. The organization aims to reach an additional 1.9 million women over three years, contributing to a 30% reduction in maternal mortality. Oluwatola emphasized their goal of ensuring that no woman loses her life simply because she wasn't aware of the risks or couldn't access necessary care.

Maggie Johnson, Global Head of Google.org, noted the gap between AI's potential and its practical implementation. By providing funding and pro bono support from Google's AI experts to the selected organizations, Google aims to empower those closest to the problem to demonstrate the true potential of AI. Together, the organization believes that AI can make a significant positive impact on the everyday lives of communities worldwide.