By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Rwanda is advancing the
Horizon 1000 initiative to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can improve
healthcare delivery at primary health facilities and in the communities they
serve by 2028, through the integration of AI-powered support into the country's
eBuzima digital health platform.
Rwanda's Minister of Health,
Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, said the initiative is being pursued in collaboration with
the Minister of ICT and Innovation, government teams and development partners.
The initiative aims to
strengthen the tools already used by frontline health workers by integrating
AI-powered support into eBuzima, with a focus on improving care at the primary
healthcare level.
Nsanzimana emphasised that
AI's value in health will be measured by how it helps health workers deliver
better care.
He noted that rigorous
testing for safety and effectiveness would guide the development and deployment
of the AI tools before any of them are used to inform patient care.
The minister also disclosed
that he had recently met with partners from the Gates Foundation and OpenAI to
advance the shared ambition of integrating AI into Rwanda's healthcare system.
According to Nsanzimana, the
initiative will follow an evidence-based approach rooted in Rwanda's needs,
with lessons from its implementation potentially shared with other countries.
