AKU’s Afya Gemma joins elite Google AI accelerator to revolutionize healthcare in Kenya

AKU’s Afya Gemma selected for Google.org Generative AI Accelerator 2025

NAIROBI: Afya Gemma, the cutting-edge clinical decision support platform developed by Aga Khan University’s Data Innovation Office, has earned a coveted spot in the 2025 Google.org Accelerator: Generative AI—selected from nearly 3,000 global applicants. This landmark recognition reflects AKU’s growing role as a leader in applying generative AI for impactful healthcare innovation in low-resource settings.

Backed by Google.org’s $30 million global commitment, the selected projects will receive six months of structured support, including pro bono guidance from Google experts, technical upskilling, and Google Cloud credits. The accelerator aims to remove barriers preventing social sector organizations from fully leveraging the power of generative AI.

Afya Gemma is designed to empower frontline clinicians in Kenya with real-time, evidence-based medical guidance tailored to the country’s healthcare ecosystem. By integrating anonymized electronic health records from a Kenyan EHR repository, local clinical guidelines, and peer-reviewed medical research, the platform enables clinicians to make informed decisions using natural language prompts in both English and Swahili.

“We’re honoured to join the 2025 Google.org Accelerator,” said Farhana Alarakhiya, Chief Data Innovation Officer at Aga Khan University and Principal Investigator for Afya Gemma. “With just over 10,000 doctors serving more than 52 million people in Kenya, there's an urgent need to expand access to specialist knowledge—especially in rural and underserved communities.”

Afya Gemma addresses this need by democratizing access to clinical intelligence and enabling evidence-based decision-making at the point of care. The solution will be deployed in over 40 facilities within the Aga Khan University Hospital and Aga Khan Health Services network.

Localized, multilingual, and impact-driven

• Multilingual interface: Supports both English and Swahili to reflect Kenya’s linguistic diversity.
  
• Tailored guidance: Recommendations are aligned with region-specific disease trends and clinical protocols.
  
• Focused reach: Deployment targets rural and underserved regions to maximize healthcare equity.

The platform is especially relevant for healthcare workers operating without immediate access to specialists, enabling them to deliver better outcomes through AI-assisted insights.

Driving digital health transformation in the Global South

Participation in the Google.org Accelerator is not just a technological milestone—it is a testament to AKU’s commitment to enhancing global health equity through innovation. Afya Gemma exemplifies the transformative potential of responsible generative AI, especially when developed in partnership with communities and rooted in local data.

By collaborating with global leaders like Google and applying AI responsibly, Aga Khan University is poised to scale Afya Gemma into a flagship model for health innovation across Africa and other low-resource regions.

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