The African Population and Health Research Center has joined a KSh7.74 billion ($60 million) global consortium to rigorously evaluate artificial intelligence tools used in primary health care across Africa and Asia.
The announcement was made during the launch of the Evidence for AI in Health (EVAH) initiative at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, India.
The 36-month initiative is jointly funded by the Gates Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Wellcome. It seeks to generate credible, policy-relevant evidence on whether AI tools improve real-world health outcomes — and how they can be responsibly and ethically scaled within health systems.
According to Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi, APHRC’s executive director, AI presents an important opportunity to strengthen health systems, but scaling innovation responsibly requires strong evidence.
She added that, “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.”
Stakeholders say that the initiative responds to mounting concern among governments and donors that digital innovations are advancing faster than the evidence required guiding safe and equitable adoption.
Without rigorous evaluation, experts warn that new technologies could further strain already fragile health systems.
Over three years, EVAH will fund and coordinate independent evaluations of AI applications in primary care settings. Researchers will assess feasibility, adoption, workflow integration and measurable health impact, with findings translated into practical guidance for policymakers and implementers.
APHRC will lead Africa-focused implementation in partnership with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, a global network that promotes evidence-based policy.
The partners will manage the application and peer-review process, provide technical support on study design and evidence synthesis, and collaborate with locally led research teams conducting evaluations.
In Africa, APHRC will map priority AI tools, conduct regulatory scoping, strengthen regional capacity to evaluate digital health technologies and support dissemination of findings to governments and regional stakeholders.
Founded more than two decades ago, APHRC has built a track record in health systems research, impact evaluation, data science and policy engagement across the continent. Organizers say EVAH aims to ensure that investments in AI translate into measurable health gains, more efficient resource use and stronger, more equitable primary health care systems in participating regions.
