Recognizing the critical role of artificial intelligence in improving effective and quality healthcare delivery in underserved communities, WHO and the Nepal Applied Mathematics and Informatics Institute for Research (NAAMII) signed a Project Collaboration Agreement to advance AI-driven health solutions for rural and community health in low- and middle-income countries. Access to quality healthcare in rural areas of the WHO South-East Asia Region remains severely limited, with shortages of health professionals and diagnostic tools continuing to hinder progress toward Universal Health Coverage. Scalable, context-aware AI solutions are urgently needed to address these gaps and reduce health inequities across the region.
NAAMII is a center of excellence in AI research and innovation based in Nepal, cultivating an ecosystem where frontier research, inclusive education, and industry innovation converge to address critical challenges faced by underserved regions worldwide. With an aim to transform global health by developing scalable and context-aware technologies that improve access, diagnostics, and decision-making in resource-constrained settings, NAAMII brings deep interdisciplinary expertise in AI for healthcare in resource-constrained settings.
The objectives of the collaboration between WHO and NAAMII are to:
- Identify priority health challenges across SEARO Member States where AI can have transformative impact, particularly in resource-limited and rural settings.
- Generate evidence-based guidance and frameworks for identifying problems, developing solutions, and translating AI innovations into real-world health services.
- Map NAAMII's ongoing multidisciplinary health AI research into a coherent portfolio of health AI interventions for rural and community health.
- Build the capacity of medical and public health professionals, computer scientists, and policymakers to effectively collaborate and lead AI-driven transformation in health systems.