The Gates Foundation says artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health technology could help detect pregnancy complications early, improve access to maternal healthcare and reduce preventable deaths among women in Nigeria.
The foundation’s Nigeria Country Director, Uche Amaonwu, disclosed this while explaining a $25 million partnership between the Gates Foundation and MTN Group Foundation aimed at improving maternal healthcare through AI-enabled applications, digital devices and internet connectivity.
Under the initiative, the partners aim to reach 500,000 women, 5,000 healthcare workers and 500 primary healthcare facilities by 2030.
Amaonwu explained that the project would help pregnant women access reliable health information in their local languages while providing frontline health workers with digital tools to support clinical assessments and referrals.
He said the initiative was designed to address gaps in access to timely medical information, particularly in rural communities where healthcare facilities may be distant or difficult to access.
According to Amaonwu, many maternal deaths can be prevented when pregnant women receive antenatal care, skilled assistance during childbirth and appropriate treatment when complications are identified.
However, he said access to these essential services and the information needed to make timely decisions remained a challenge for many women.
Through the proposed digital platform, pregnant women will be able to describe symptoms they experience and receive guidance on appropriate next steps.
For instance, a woman who experiences pain, bleeding or other concerning symptoms could use the application to obtain information about the seriousness of her condition and whether she needs urgent medical attention.
The platform is also expected to provide support outside normal healthcare service hours, when women may struggle to contact health workers or reach a medical facility.
Amaonwu stressed that the technology would provide guidance rather than replace professional medical care.
He noted that access to reliable information could help women recognise warning signs earlier, avoid inappropriate self-medication and make informed decisions about seeking treatment.
The partnership will focus on three major areas: access to mobile devices, affordable internet connectivity and applications capable of providing reliable maternal health information in local languages.
Amaonwu said MTN’s telecommunications infrastructure and network reach would play an important role in connecting women and healthcare workers, including those living in communities with limited access to health facilities.
The partners also intend to make devices available to women who do not currently own suitable phones, alongside connectivity that will enable them to use the platform.
According to Amaonwu, the initiative is designed to make the service free to participating women, with the cost of devices and data connectivity covered under the programme.
MTN is expected to support connectivity, including zero-rated data for the application, while the Gates Foundation will work with relevant partners to ensure that the technology provides accurate and medically appropriate information.
The applications are also expected to support Nigerian languages, including Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Nigerian Pidgin, to make the service more accessible to women who may not be comfortable communicating in English.
Beyond assisting pregnant women directly, the initiative will provide digital support for healthcare workers, including midwives operating in primary healthcare centres.
Amaonwu explained that health workers often face pressure from large patient numbers and may require additional information when assessing symptoms or deciding whether a patient needs further treatment.
With access to AI-enabled tools, a healthcare worker could consult relevant medical guidance and seek assistance in determining the appropriate next steps.
The technology is also expected to improve communication between primary healthcare centres and referral hospitals.
For example, when a health worker identifies a potentially serious pregnancy complication, the system could help communicate the patient’s condition to a receiving hospital before she arrives.
This would give the referral facility an opportunity to prepare for the patient’s arrival and organise the necessary care.
Amaonwu said the approach could improve coordination, strengthen referrals and reduce delays that may put the lives of pregnant women at risk.
However, he emphasised that the effectiveness of the intervention would be assessed through a pilot programme before any wider expansion.
The evaluation will examine whether women can access the information they need, whether health workers can identify complications earlier and whether the technology improves referral times and hospital preparedness.
Amaonwu disclosed that the partnership involves a combined investment of $25 million covering the period from 2026 to 2030.
The Gates Foundation and MTN are each contributing $12.5 million.
He explained that MTN’s contribution would focus significantly on providing access to devices and connectivity, while the Gates Foundation would support the development of applications that deliver reliable health information and appropriate guidance.
The partners also intend to work with medical professionals and technology developers to ensure that the applications are designed around established clinical guidelines.
Amaonwu said the initiative would require careful testing because AI systems that misunderstand symptoms or provide inaccurate information could expose pregnant women to serious risks.
He added that differences in Nigerian languages and dialects would need particular attention to ensure that the technology correctly interprets users’ descriptions of their symptoms.
Addressing concerns about the potential dangers of inaccurate AI-generated health recommendations, Amaonwu said the technology would serve as a support tool rather than a replacement for professional clinical judgment.
He explained that healthcare workers would remain responsible for decisions concerning patient care, while the applications would provide information to assist their assessments.
He also said qualified medical professionals would be involved in developing and reviewing the applications to ensure that their recommendations were consistent with established clinical evidence.
Language accuracy, he added, would be an important part of the testing process, particularly because errors in interpreting symptoms could have serious consequences.
The partnership will assess available language models and seek to improve their performance in Nigerian languages and dialects.
The pilot programme is expected to provide evidence about the technology’s effectiveness, safety and suitability for use in different healthcare settings.
Initiative Targets 500 Healthcare Facilities
Amaonwu expressed confidence that the partnership could achieve its target of reaching 500 primary healthcare facilities by 2030.
He noted that Nigeria has approximately 40,000 primary healthcare centres, meaning the initiative would begin by covering a relatively small proportion of the country’s overall healthcare infrastructure.
He also pointed to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), which targets areas with a particularly high burden of maternal deaths.
According to Amaonwu, the programme identified 172 local government areas that collectively account for 60 per cent of maternal deaths, providing an important framework for directing interventions towards communities with significant needs.
He said collaboration with the relevant government programmes would help ensure that the AI partnership complements existing efforts rather than operates separately from the national healthcare system.
The Gates Foundation director acknowledged that sustaining the initiative beyond the 2026–2030 funding period would be an important consideration.
He said the partnership was intended to generate evidence and practical lessons that could inform broader government and private-sector programmes.
The partners hope that the findings will help guide investments in digital infrastructure, including internet connectivity for rural communities and public healthcare facilities.
Amaonwu also highlighted the importance of digital literacy and training to ensure that women with limited experience using smartphones can benefit from the technology.
He said the programme would incorporate the support required to help participating women use the devices and applications.
He added that collaboration with federal and state governments would be essential to expanding connectivity and ensuring that rural and underserved communities are not excluded
Nigeria continues to face significant challenges in maternal healthcare, including delays in recognising complications, limited access to skilled care and difficulties reaching appropriate medical facilities.
The Gates Foundation–MTN partnership seeks to address some of these gaps by combining digital access, AI-enabled information and improved communication between patients and healthcare providers.
Although the technology is not intended to replace antenatal visits, skilled birth attendants or emergency medical treatment, its success will depend on whether it provides accurate guidance and helps women obtain professional care without unnecessary delays.
The planned pilot will therefore be important in determining whether AI-enabled maternal health services can deliver measurable improvements and be expanded safely across Nigeria.
For the initiative to achieve its objectives, reliable technology must be supported by trained healthcare workers, accessible medical facilities, effective referral systems and sustained government commitment.
