AI Research & Innovation
Advance research and development of AI technologies addressing priority African health challenges.
Curated by the Makerere AI Health Lab
AI in Health Africa Network(AIHA-Net)
A continental network advancing the use of Artificial Intelligence to improve health outcomes across Africa.
About the network
What AIHA-Net is
The AI in Health Africa Network, curated by the Makerere AI Health Lab, brings together researchers, innovators, practitioners, and policymakers across Africa and the Global South who are passionate about advancing the use of Artificial Intelligence to improve health outcomes.
Network pillars
Four pillars of work
Each pillar organises the network's objectives, activities and working groups.
Responsible AI Governance, Policy & Standards
Ensure AI in health is ethical, equitable, secure, and supported by harmonized standards.
Digital Health Implementation & Impact
Bridge the gap between research and real-world deployment.
Partnerships, Capacity Building & Community Engagement
Build strategic partnerships and next-generation AI leadership.
Get involved
Ways to participate
Individuals join through one of six participation categories. Organisations can also join at an institutional level.
Researchers & Academics
Lecturers, scientists, and postgraduate researchers in AI, health, and biomedical research.
What participation looks like
Research working groups
Collaborative grant proposals
Benchmark datasets
Publications
Technical & Data Specialists
Data scientists, health informaticians, software developers, and AI practitioners.
What participation looks like
Technical working groups
Model development
Open-source tools
Innovation challenges
Clinicians & Health Professionals
Doctors, public health practitioners, and healthcare managers.
What participation looks like
Pilot implementations
Implementation case studies
Health-system partnerships
Policy & Governance Specialists
Experts in ethics, regulation, privacy, and data governance.
What participation looks like
Policy dialogues
Regulatory roundtables
Ethics workshops
Standards development
Innovators & Entrepreneurs
Startup founders and technology innovators building AI-enabled health solutions.
What participation looks like
Partnership forums
Grant consortium development
Innovation challenges
Sponsor engagement
Students & Emerging Professionals
Students and early-career professionals seeking mentorship and entry points.
What participation looks like
Mentorship programmes
Fellowship cohorts
Training and summer schools
Community webinars
Universities & academic institutions
Host working groups, co-supervise research, contribute datasets.
Research institutions
Collaborate on multi-country studies, share benchmark data.
Healthcare institutions
Serve as pilot and implementation sites, validate tools clinically.
International & development organisations
Fund initiatives, support policy translation, co-convene dialogues.
Innovation & technology organisations
Sponsor challenges, provide technical infrastructure, mentor startups.
Communities of Practice
Where members do the work
Each Community of Practice covers a set of focus areas. Those focus areas are also the eligibility signal: if you are active in one of them, you can join the corresponding CoP.
Focus areas
Diagnostics
Pathology
Medical imaging
Clinical decision support
Focus areas
Machine learning
Predictive analytics
Health data science
AI model development
Focus areas
EMRs
Health information systems
Digital transformation
System integration
Focus areas
Data governance
Privacy
Ethics
Regulatory frameworks
Focus areas
Disease surveillance
Epidemic intelligence
Public health applications
Focus areas
Horizon scanning
Emerging technologies
Strategic foresight
Who can join
AIHA-Net is open to researchers, clinicians, technologists, policymakers, innovators, and students working on AI and health in Africa and the Global South. There is no membership fee — members are asked only to identify their area(s) of expertise so they can be connected to the right Community of Practice.
Network at a glance
Who is in the network
~70
Members
Researchers, technologists, clinicians, policy specialists, innovators and students
12
Countries represented
Across Africa and the Global South
6
Member profile categories
Each mapped to a Community of Practice
Countries represented
Uganda
Kenya
Tanzania
Rwanda
Nigeria
Cameroon
Sudan
Zambia
South Africa
Pakistan
Germany
United Kingdom
Governance
Steering Committee
The steering committee guides the network's direction, priorities and partnerships.
Dr. Rose Nakasi
Makerere AI Health Lab
Linda Nsababera
Makerere AI Health Lab
Solomon Nsumba
Makerere AI Health Lab
Jane Nalunga
Makerere AI Health Lab
Dr. Luqman Lawal
Head, Global Expansion, Mayo Clinic Platform
Kayode Emmanuel Adetunji
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, MADIVA team, Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of the Witwatersrand
Dr. Ruth Obaikol
Academy for Health Innovations, Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI)
Join the network
Expression of interest
Tell us who you are and where your expertise lies, and we will connect you to the right Community of Practice. There is no membership fee.