APHRC joins Ksh.7.7B global initiative to strengthen AI in health across Africa

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) has announced its role as a delivery partner in the $60 million (Ksh.7.7 billion) Evidence for AI in Health (EVAH) initiative, aimed at strengthening decision-making around artificial intelligence (AI) in health care across Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Launched on February 20, 2026, at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, the initiative is supported by the Gates Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and Wellcome.

EVAH seeks to ensure that emerging AI innovations in health are guided by high-quality evidence before being adopted at scale.

Over the next three years, EVAH will support rigorous evaluations to generate insights on feasibility, adoption, workflow integration, and health impact, with findings translated into practical guidance for policymakers and implementers.

APHRC and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) will coordinate the programme, overseeing the application and peer-review process, offering technical input on study design, and collaborating with locally led research teams conducting evaluations.

APHRC will lead Africa-focused activities, including mapping priority AI tools, strengthening local evaluation capacity, and supporting the translation of findings into policy guidance for governments and regional stakeholders.

Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director of APHRC, said the initiative would help advance evidence-based AI adoption in health systems.

“AI presents an important opportunity to strengthen health systems, but scaling innovation responsibly requires strong evidence. Through EVAH, APHRC will work alongside global and local partners to generate practical insights that help governments invest in solutions that are effective, equitable, and sustainable,” she said.

APHRC brings over two decades of experience in health systems research, impact evaluation, data science, and policy engagement across Africa.

The EVAH initiative builds on the Center’s ongoing collaborations with governments and regional institutions to support responsible adoption of digital health and AI.

By linking high-quality evaluations to policymaker engagement, EVAH aims to ensure that investments in AI translate into measurable health improvements, support efficient resource use, and contribute to stronger, more equitable health systems across participating regions.