Google funds Helium Health AI to reduce maternal deaths in Nigeria
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Business Day Nigeria
Nigerian start-up Helium Health has received a $2.5 million grant from Google.org to deploy artificial intelligence tools to 1.9 million pregnant women. The programme will begin in Lagos before expanding to Delta, Kano and Oyo, aiming to reduce maternal deaths, according to Business Day Nigeria.
Google.org has awarded a $2.5 million grant to Helium Health, a Nigerian health technology start-up, to deploy artificial intelligence tools in primary maternal care, according to Business Day Nigeria.
The programme aims to reach 1.9 million pregnant women in Nigeria over three years and will begin in Lagos before expanding to the states of Delta, Kano and Oyo. It will use the clinical models of the HeliumMum initiative to help community health workers identify pregnancy complications earlier and refer patients to appropriate facilities.
The project aims to contribute to a 30% reduction in maternal deaths by identifying women at risk before complications become fatal. Helium Health says its initiatives have already reached more than 3.5 million women, reports Business Day Nigeria.
Helium Health was the only Nigerian organisation selected among 15 global recipients of the $30 million Google.org Impact Challenge: AI for Government Innovation programme. The initiative will also provide authorities with health data to identify service gaps and improve resource allocation.
