Davos 2026: Rwanda advocates responsible scaling of AI for health systems at WEF 2026
Date: 2026-01-22
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
Rwanda’s
Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, has underscored the importance
of responsibly scaling artificial intelligence to strengthen health systems in
low- and middle-income countries during the World Economic Forum 2026.
At a high-level roundtable co-hosted with the Global Fund on the margins of WEF26, Minister Ingabire shared Rwanda’s experience in deploying AI-driven health initiatives, highlighting the country’s efforts to integrate innovation into national healthcare delivery.
She referenced the AI Health Technology Hub developed in partnership with Novartis, as well as the AI Scaling Hub supported by the Gates Foundation, as practical examples of how emerging technologies can be aligned with public health priorities.
Discussions
at the roundtable focused on the need for strong political will, robust
governance frameworks and the deliberate design of pilot projects with
scalability in mind, particularly in resource-constrained settings.
Participants examined how responsible AI adoption can enhance efficiency,
expand access to care and improve health outcomes when implemented within clear
ethical and regulatory frameworks.
The
engagement reaffirmed Rwanda’s positioning as a testbed for innovative digital
health solutions and its commitment to working with global partners to advance
the use of AI in building resilient and inclusive health systems.
