Philanthropic Partnership Backs Country-Led Research to Guide the Use of AI in Health

The Gates Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, and Wellcome will support locally led evaluations of AI tools that have the potential to improve health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries

The first call for proposals, now open, focuses on mature AI tools that support decision-making in primary and community health settings

NEW DELHI, India, Feb. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gates Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, and Wellcome today announced a joint investment of US$60 million to support locally led evaluations of AI health tools in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Evidence for AI in Health (EVAH) initiative will help governments and health systems determine which tools work, where they add value, and how they can be used responsibly.

Announced during the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, EVAH is designed to address a critical gap in evidence on how AI performs in real-world health settings in LMICs. This new initiative will support the evaluation of health tools that have moved beyond early development, providing policymakers, providers, and developers in LMICs with the insights needed to make informed decisions about adoption and scale-up. EVAH marks the second investment of the US$300 million global health research and development partnership launched by these three philanthropic organizations in 2024. 

"AI has the power to significantly improve health care and accelerate development in Africa, but its success must ultimately be measured by the tangible improvements it brings to people's lives," said Dr. Bosun Tijani, Nigeria's minister of communications, innovation, and digital economy. "By investing in rigorous studies to evaluate the real-world impact of AI innovations, this collaboration will generate critical insights to inform effective policymaking and support the widespread adoption of AI solutions—ultimately creating healthier communities and driving sustainable economic growth across the continent."

The first request for proposals (RFP), which is now open, funds evaluations of AI-enabled decision support tools designed to assist frontline workers with clinical tasks—such as triage, diagnosis, and referral—within primary and community health care settings in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. The initiative will be implemented in partnership with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC). As delivery partners, J-PAL and APHRC will coordinate the application and review process, provide technical input on study design and evidence synthesis, and work in close partnership with the local research teams co-leading evaluations.

"Digitization and advances in AI have huge potential to improve health across the world. We want to ensure that everyone, everywhere can benefit," said Charlotte Watts, executive director of solutions at Wellcome. "Despite the opportunity, there is limited evidence about what interventions can feasibly be integrated into health systems and primary care, to strengthen service delivery and improve health in low- and middle-income countries. This initiative aims to help address this gap. Only by working in partnership, and investing in rigorous evidence generation and learning, will we be able to support decision-makers and services to meet the needs of the communities they serve."

Despite the rapid pace of innovation and progress in the use of AI for health and development, there is limited evidence on the health, social, and economic impacts of AI innovation in LMICs. This can lead to promising AI health innovations failing to move from proof-of-concept to real-world impact, wasted investments, and widening disparities in health care access. A recent Lancet study highlighted this gap: Of the 86 identified randomized clinical trials conducted on AI health tools around the world between 2018 and 2023, only four took place in LMICs. This lack of evidence leaves governments and health systems without the information needed to make confident decisions about the safe use of AI in their communities.

"The introduction of AI technology has enormous potential to enhance health care delivery in regions facing critical workforce and infrastructure challenges," said Lene Oddershede, chief scientific officer, planetary science & technology at the Novo Nordisk Foundation. "However, more robust evidence is needed to guide investments and implementation locally. The evaluation projects funded through EVAH will provide decision-makers with crucial data on efficacy, economic value, and acceptability of these technologies in the contexts where they're most needed."

Evaluations will include implementation science studies, randomized controlled trials, economic analyses assessing both the economic value of the AI tools and the feasibility of their implementation at scale, and assessments of public and professional acceptability and trust in the tools. All findings will be shared through open access channels to maximize their impact, prioritizing data privacy and principles of safety, ethics, and equity.

The tools selected for evaluation—which will span a range of AI-driven health technologies such as machine learning, computer vision, and large language models—will be identified based on engagement with country partners to ensure alignment with local health priorities. Priority will be given to tools trained on representative data, designed for deployment in resource-constrained environments, and focused on public benefit.

"We are already seeing the positive impact AI can have in global health—reducing inequities and enabling frontline workers and health systems to deliver more effective, tailored care," said Trevor Mundel, president of global health at the Gates Foundation. "Ensuring new AI tools are safe and effective can significantly reduce the time it takes to turn promising ideas into scalable innovations that respond to local needs and improve outcomes in the most vulnerable communities."

About the Gates Foundation

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, we work with partners to create impactful solutions so that people can take charge of their futures and achieve their full potential. In the United States, we aim to ensure that everyone—especially those with the fewest resources—has access to the opportunities needed to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Bill Gates and our governing board.

About the Novo Nordisk Foundation

Established in Denmark in 1924, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people's health and the sustainability of society and the planet. The Foundation's mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society.

About Wellcome

Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. We support discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and we're taking on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate and health.