The Gates Foundation has said artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health tools will help identify pregnancy complications early and improve maternal healthcare in Nigeria.
The Nigeria Country Director of the Gates Foundation, Uche Amaonwu, disclosed this while discussing the foundation’s partnership with MTN Group Foundation to strengthen maternal health services across the country.
The initiative, known as the Nigeria Maternal Health Multiplier, aims to reach 500,000 women, equip 5,000 frontline health workers with digital tools and support 500 primary healthcare facilities by 2030.
Amaonwu explained that the programme would address gaps in access to reliable health information and medical support, particularly for pregnant women in rural and underserved communities.
He noted that although many pregnancy-related deaths could be prevented through early detection and appropriate treatment, some women struggle to access healthcare workers when complications arise.
According to him, AI-enabled tools would allow pregnant women to describe symptoms such as pain, discomfort or bleeding using their mobile phones and receive guidance on the appropriate steps to take.
The technology is also expected to help women recognise warning signs that require urgent medical attention, particularly at night or when healthcare facilities are difficult to reach.
Amaonwu added that healthcare workers, including midwives, would also benefit from AI-powered decision-support tools to help them assess patients, identify potential complications and determine when referrals to specialised facilities are necessary.
The initiative will also improve communication between primary healthcare centres and referral hospitals, enabling health workers to share information about patients’ conditions and allow receiving facilities to prepare for emergency treatment before patients arrive.
The partnership includes plans to provide affordable mobile devices, internet connectivity and applications capable of communicating in Nigerian languages, including Pidgin English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
Amaonwu disclosed that the initiative would receive an investment of approximately 25 million dollars between 2026 and 2030, with the Gates Foundation and MTN Group Foundation contributing 12.5 million dollars each.
He stressed that the AI tools would support, rather than replace, the professional judgement of healthcare workers, adding that medical experts would be involved in developing and testing the applications to ensure the accuracy and safety of the information provided.
The programme will initially be implemented as a pilot to assess its effectiveness in improving early detection, referrals and access to maternal healthcare before wider expansion.
The initiative is expected to complement Nigeria’s existing maternal health programmes and strengthen efforts to reduce preventable maternal deaths.
