Editor’s Note: On behalf of The Gates Foundation, Bill Gates also shared this news on Gates Notes(opens in a new window).
AI capabilities have advanced much faster than their broad, real-world deployment, leaving a growing gap between what’s possible and what people experience. These systems have become so capable that they’ve made new kinds of things possible—some we couldn’t have imagined not long ago, and some we’re still discovering. This is especially clear in healthcare, where the challenge is now turning powerful models into tools that work in everyday care.
Today, we’re announcing Horizon 1000, a pilot initiative with the Gates Foundation to support leaders in African countries, beginning in Rwanda, as they advance these AI capabilities for health. Together, the Gates Foundation and OpenAI are committing $50 million in funding, technology, and technical support to support their work, with the ambitious goal of reaching 1,000 primary healthcare clinics and their surrounding communities by 2028.
“AI is going to be a scientific marvel no matter what, but for it to be a societal marvel, we’ve got to figure out ways that we use this incredible technology to improve people’s lives.”
Primary health care is the foundation of strong, resilient health systems, yet remains inaccessible for half the world’s population. Sub-Saharan Africa alone faces a health workforce shortfall of approximately 5.6 million workers—placing extraordinary strain on existing clinicians and underscoring the scale of unmet demand for care. Quality of care is also highly variable, and is a major driver of preventable deaths.
At the same time, many countries across Sub-Saharan Africa have been at the forefront of re-imagining how care can be delivered at scale. Governments and health leaders across the region are actively exploring how digital tools and AI can help extend the reach of their existing health workforce, improve quality, and bring more consistent care to communities.
Horizon 1000 aims to meet this moment by supporting African leadership and medical experts with resources and technical expertise so they can move from innovation to deployment. In practice, AI tools can help frontline health workers navigate complex guidelines and reduce administrative burden, so clinicians can spend more time on care. We also know people want more agency over their health, and many are already turning to AI to help navigate their own care.
We look forward to learning openly along the way and measuring success by what meaningfully improves care for patients and the health workforce who serve them.
