Google has awarded Nigerian health technology company, Helium Health, a $2.5 million (about N3.4 billion) grant to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) solutions aimed at improving maternal healthcare in Nigeria.
Helium Health was the only Nigerian organisation among 15 recipients selected globally for the $30 million Google.org Impact Challenge: AI for Government Innovation. The initiative supports organisations using technology to improve public services in partnership with governments.
The project was officially unveiled in Lagos during an executive briefing attended by Google and Helium Health executives, alongside Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The programme will be implemented in Lagos, Delta, Kano and Oyo states, with Lagos serving as the starting point.
As part of the initiative, selected organisations will also participate in a Google.org accelerator programme, where they will receive technical guidance and support from Google engineers and artificial intelligence experts.
Speaking on the grant, Helium Health Chief Executive Officer, Dimeji Sofowora, said the company had spent the past decade developing technology and building partnerships to improve healthcare delivery across Africa.
He disclosed that its maternal health programmes had already reached more than 3.5 million women, expressing confidence that the Google.org grant would help expand its interventions and provide more women with access to quality maternal healthcare.
The company’s Head of Public Health, Dr Shona Oluwatola, said the project was expected to reach an additional 1.9 million women over the next three years, while contributing to a 30 per cent reduction in maternal mortality.
She noted that Nigeria accounts for nearly three out of every 10 maternal deaths worldwide, making it important to introduce solutions that would help pregnant women identify health risks early and receive timely medical attention.
Under the programme, Helium Health will deploy its HeliumMum platform to help pregnant women detect possible complications early and connect with appropriate healthcare services.
The platform will link expectant mothers with healthcare providers through electronic medical records and AI-powered clinical decision-support tools. It will also provide governments with relevant data to support maternal health policies and improve healthcare delivery.
Google.org Global Head, Maggie Johnson, said artificial intelligence had enormous potential to transform public services but noted that a significant gap remained between what the technology could achieve and its actual application in addressing everyday challenges.
She explained that the grant, alongside technical support from Google’s AI specialists, would help the selected organisations develop practical solutions to pressing problems in their communities.
Johnson added that the initiative was designed to ensure that artificial intelligence delivers meaningful and measurable benefits to people and communities around the world.
