What will it take for AI to work for women’s health in Africa?

While mobile health, often referred to as mHealth, laid the foundations of digital health solutions by connecting African women to care via mobile phones, the complexity of the continent’s health burden now demands a decisive shift from simple access to the predictive, personalized precision of artificial intelligence. But to succeed, essential guardrails must be set up.

The landscape of women's health in Africa remains one of urgent, unmet needs. The continent bears a disproportionate burden of global health disparities, most tragically demonstrated by maternal mortality.

While sub-Saharan Africa is home to about 16% of the world’s population but accounts for an estimated 70% of all maternal deaths worldwide, where rates can be as high as 442 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to just 12 in high-income countries. Despite maternal mortality falling 40% in the African region between 2000 and 2023, the pace is insufficient for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, demanding a twelvefold increase in the annual reduction rate.