Two Kenyan health startups have been selected for a global programme that supports high-potential businesses that are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to improve healthcare and medical research.
The two – TIBU Health and Thalia Psychotherapy – are part of the 24 startups selected across Africa, Middle East and Europe.
The programme, known as Google for Startups, will provide participants with intensive training, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
TIBU Health delivers affordable outpatient services via “minute clinics” in partner pharmacies in high-density neighbourhoods.
Thalia Psychotherapy is focused on integrating mental health services into primary healthcare systems.
Its AI-powered chatbot provides initial assessments and therapy sessions, increasing access to mental health support in a region with a shortage of mental health professionals.
“These companies exemplify the potential of AI to address pressing healthcare challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa, advancing mental health integration, providing accessible outpatient services, and delivering affordable healthcare to underserved populations,” Google said in a statement.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 116 million people across Africa were already estimated to be living with mental health conditions before the pandemic.
As things stand, there are fewer than two mental health workers for every 100,000 people.
Dorothy Ooko, Head of Communications and Public Affairs, Google, Africa, said: "We are committed to supporting the growth of innovative startups, particularly those that are leveraging AI to address critical healthcare challenges.
"The Growth Academy: AI for Health program is a testament to this commitment, and we are excited to see the impact these startups will have on the future of healthcare."
In the three-month programme, startups will also benefit from workshops on improved practices for AI, leadership development, responsible innovation, product design, and customer acquisition, the statement said.
Additionally, Google experts from Research, Health, Verily, Fitbit, and DeepMind will offer one-on-one mentorship sessions and technical project support.
More donors appear to be supporting startups to apply AI in health.
Last year, five Kenyan startups each received up to Sh14.4 million ($100,000) to improve on AI in their operations.
The startups responded to the Grand Challenges request for proposals, and were part of nearly 50 grant recipients from developing countries, who will be awarded.
The Gates Foundation, which runs the Grand Challenges programme, said the responsible and safe use of AI-driven technology can help solve some of the world’s toughest health and development challenges.
However, for these models to be useful in lower and middle-income nations, researchers from those countries need to participate in the design, application, and testing of this technology as it rapidly evolves, the foundation said.
“Too often, advances in technology deliver uneven benefits in many parts of the world due to existing patterns of discrimination, inequality, and bias,” said Juliana Rotich, co-founder of iHub, an incubator for Nairobi’s young technology entrepreneurs, and who serves on the foundation's new AI Ethics and Safety Advisory committee.
“AI is no different, with most of the tools being developed in the Global North using data from lower-resourced regions that is often incomplete or inaccurate. To realise the full potential of AI, it must be developed responsibly and ethically, with the needs of the end user in mind. Solutions can be transformative when they are locally inspired,” she added.
One recipient, Daphne Ngunjiri of Access Afya, will integrate ChatGPT into a virtual clinic application, mDaktari, to support clinicians to better respond to patient inquiries.
Access Afya proposed to increase the scope, speed, and quality of responses to patients' queries in their preferred language. It will also support clinicians to provide accurate diagnoses and treatments.
Another recipient, Robert Korom of Penda Health Limited, will integrate ChatGPT-4 into a patient communication system to increase consultation efficiency and the speed of delivering accurate health information.
Penda will create a hybrid model where clinical call-centre agents work hand-in-hand with AI.
Tonee Ndungu of Kytabu Company said they will develop a comprehensive AI-powered mobile application, Somanasi (learn with us), to provide personalised education to students in Kenya.
The application will harness ChatGPT-4 and act as a virtual tutor that delivers tailored content, adaptive learning experiences, and interactive guidance.
Another recipient, Martin Mwangi of Intellisoft Consulting, said they will build an application-supported language model to improve knowledge, attitudes, and practices surrounding the risk factors for non-communicable diseases for young people in Kenya.