Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Despite major advances in global health, thousands of women and children in Sub-Saharan Africa continue to die each year from preventable and predictable causes. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming sectors such as finance, logistics, and transportation, public health has lagged in adopting and scaling proven technologies. From predictive analytics to drone delivery, AI-driven tools have demonstrated real impact—but many remain stuck in pilot mode. The question today is not whether AI can save lives, but how to scale it responsibly, equitably, and sustainably, with women and children at the center.
This World Health Summit 2025 session – co-hosted by Acasus – explored what it took to translate technological potential into large-scale health impact. The discussion was moderated by Susan Mackay (Acasus). It examined systemic barriers such as weak infrastructure, fragmented data ecosystems, limited workforce capacity, and short-term financing. It also highlighted enabling conditions for scale, including strong political commitment, sustainable investment, cross-sector partnerships, and robust governance frameworks.
Speakers Ebere Okereke (Mohammed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity), Kat Esser (AWS), Obiageli Ezekwesili (Human Capital Africa), Dhun Davar (AVPN), and Fenton Whelan (Acasus) brought experience from global philanthropy, technology innovation, advocacy, and health system transformation across Africa and Asia. They offered insights into building resilient and data-enabled systems that could deliver meaningful improvements in maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes.
The session showcased what became possible when health systems moved beyond managing adversity and instead innovated through it, ensuring that AI served those who needed it most.
The World Health Summit is the leading global platform bringing together science, politics, civil society, and the private sector to catalyze collaborative and innovative solutions for key health priorities. Learn more at www.worldhealthsummit.org.
Despite major advances in global health, thousands of women and children in Sub-Saharan Africa continue to die each year from preventable and predictable causes. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming sectors such as finance, logistics, and transportation, public health has lagged in adopting and scaling proven technologies. From predictive analytics to drone delivery, AI-driven tools have demonstrated real impact—but many remain stuck in pilot mode. The question today is not whether AI can save lives, but how to scale it responsibly, equitably, and sustainably, with women and children at the center.
This World Health Summit 2025 session – co-hosted by Acasus – explored what it took to translate technological potential into large-scale health impact. The discussion was moderated by Susan Mackay (Acasus). It examined systemic barriers such as weak infrastructure, fragmented data ecosystems, limited workforce capacity, and short-term financing. It also highlighted enabling conditions for scale, including strong political commitment, sustainable investment, cross-sector partnerships, and robust governance frameworks.
Speakers Ebere Okereke (Mohammed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity), Kat Esser (AWS), Obiageli Ezekwesili (Human Capital Africa), Dhun Davar (AVPN), and Fenton Whelan (Acasus) brought experience from global philanthropy, technology innovation, advocacy, and health system transformation across Africa and Asia. They offered insights into building resilient and data-enabled systems that could deliver meaningful improvements in maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes.
The session showcased what became possible when health systems moved beyond managing adversity and instead innovated through it, ensuring that AI served those who needed it most.
The World Health Summit is the leading global platform bringing together science, politics, civil society, and the private sector to catalyze collaborative and innovative solutions for key health priorities. Learn more at www.worldhealthsummit.org.
