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Bill Gates is in Rwanda this week to see firsthand how the country has transformed its healthcare system over the past 25 years, with a particular focus on how artificial intelligence is improving medical services.
The Microsoft co-founder and Gates Foundation chair shared details of the visit in a LinkedIn post, describing Rwanda as one of Africa’s leading public health success stories.
“Over the last 25 years, Rwanda has delivered one of Africa’s most remarkable health transformations. The country shows what is possible when governments not only invest in life-saving technologies but focus on getting those technologies into the hands of the people who need them most,” Gates wrote.
His visit includes a tour of a syringe manufacturing plant in Rwamagana District, part of efforts to strengthen Africa’s ability to produce essential medical supplies locally. He is also expected to visit Mwulire Health Centre, where he will meet a community health worker to see how healthcare services are delivered at the grassroots level.
The trip builds on the Gates Foundation’s partnership with OpenAI, announced in January, which made Rwanda the first country to host Horizon1000, an AI-driven healthcare initiative. Backed by $50 million in funding, technology and technical support, the programme aims to help clinics across several African countries use AI to strengthen health systems. By 2028, it hopes to reach 1,000 primary healthcare clinics and the communities they serve.
Rather than replacing frontline workers, the initiative is designed to support them by improving diagnosis, helping clinics allocate resources more effectively and strengthening medical decision-making.
Gates has described the programme as a response to the continent’s critical shortage of healthcare workers. He has cited estimates showing sub-Saharan Africa lacks about six million health professionals, arguing that AI “can be a gamechanger in expanding access to quality care” where health systems remain overstretched.
Rwanda faces its own workforce challenges. The country has about one healthcare worker for every 1,000 people, far below the World Health Organization’s recommended level of roughly four per 1,000. At the current pace, closing that gap could take around 180 years.
Speaking to CNBC Africa before the visit, Gates said Rwanda’s progress has been driven by consistent investment rather than any single breakthrough. He pointed to major improvements since 2000, including an 80 percent decline in deaths among children under five and an 85 percent reduction in maternal deaths linked to pregnancy and childbirth complications.
He also praised Rwanda’s use of data to improve healthcare delivery.
“[Rwanda’s] health system is working extremely well. They track what they’re doing, they see what needs to improve, and they take action,” Gates said. He added that the country’s consistently high vaccination coverage has played a key role in its success.
That data-driven approach is supported by the National Health Intelligence Centre AI Lab, launched in April 2025. The facility integrates patient records, supply chain information, insurance claims, workforce data and civil registration records to help health officials make faster, better-informed decisions. Horizon1000 is expected to build on those capabilities.
Gates’ visit comes as global health programmes face growing financial pressure. He has warned that cuts to international aid budgets have contributed to the first increase in preventable child deaths this century, reinforcing his belief that African countries need stronger local digital and AI capabilities as donor funding declines.
The trip also reflects Gates’ broader philanthropic strategy. In May 2025, he announced that the Gates Foundation would spend more than $200 billion over the next two decades before closing in 2045, accelerating its giving and bringing forward a timetable that had originally envisioned the foundation continuing for 20 years after his death.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah