Afya Gemma, a cutting-edge AI-powered clinical decision support platform developed by the Aga Khan University’s Data Innovation Office, has been selected to join the 2025 cohort of the Google.org Accelerator: Generative AI. The platform was chosen from a competitive pool of nearly 3,000 global applicants.
The prestigious accelerator program, backed by a $30 million commitment from Google.org, is designed to help social impact organizations overcome technical and operational barriers to using generative AI. Participating organizations receive six months of targeted support, including pro bono technical assistance from Google employees, advanced AI training, and Google Cloud credits.
For Afya Gemma, the selection marks a major milestone in its mission to bridge healthcare gaps in Kenya, particularly in underserved and rural communities.
“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.
“In Kenya, just over 10,000 doctors serve more than 52 million people—leaving vast gaps in access to specialist expertise. Afya Gemma was built to help close this gap.”
Powered by generative AI, Afya Gemma enables frontline clinicians to access real-time, evidence-based medical guidance through simple, natural language queries in both English and Swahili. The platform integrates anonymized electronic health records, Kenya-specific clinical protocols, and peer-reviewed research, offering contextually relevant insights at the point of care.
Backed by the new support, Afya Gemma will be deployed in 40 facilities across the Aga Khan University Hospital and Aga Khan Health Services network. The expansion aims to strengthen clinical decision-making by aligning AI insights with local disease patterns and treatment standards.
The multilingual platform is also designed to be inclusive, recognizing the linguistic and cultural diversity of Kenya’s healthcare workforce. It addresses a pressing need for localized AI solutions that can support clinicians working in resource-constrained environments.
“By harnessing generative AI, we’re democratizing clinical knowledge,”
Alarakhiya said.
“With Google.org’s support, we can accelerate the localization and refinement of our models, ensuring even the most remote clinics have access to the same quality of insights as urban hospitals.”
Participation in the Google.org Accelerator further solidifies Aga Khan University’s leadership in data-driven healthcare innovation in Africa. It represents a broader push toward equitable digital health tools that can be scaled to address systemic challenges in global health systems.
As the world watches the next wave of AI innovation unfold, Afya Gemma is positioning itself as a powerful example of how technology can advance not only diagnostics but also health equity.
