PATH

Congratulations to Prof. Bilal A Mateen, PATH's Chief AI Officer, on his appointment to the United Nations Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence. 🎉 The panel, the first fully independent global scientific body on AI, brings together 40 experts from every region to assess how AI is transforming economies and societies. Bilal was selected from more than 2,600 applicants through an open, merit-based process. At PATH, we believe AI has the potential to transform health care in the communities that need it most—but only if we build the evidence, regulation, and infrastructure to deploy it equitably. From the largest Phase 3 randomized controlled trial of AI clinical decision support in Africa to benchmarking studies published in Nature Health, our work is focused on moving AI from promise to patient outcomes. We look forward to Bilal bringing that frontline perspective into the global conversation on AI governance. #DigitalHealth #AIForHealth

PATH's Chief of Africa Region Dr. Nanthalile Mugala recently met with senior government officials in Kinshasa to express gratitude for the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s continued trust in PATH as a partner in advancing the country’s health priorities. Dr. Mugala and PATH DRC leaders—including Trad Hatton, Dr. Ernest Mbo, Gnima Diop, and Nelly Moleka—met with Hon. Dr. Roger Kamba, Minister of Health, Hygiene, and Social Welfare, and Ms. Julie Tshilombo, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Prime Minister's Office. “The partnership with PATH is longstanding, strong, and strategic for the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” Hon. Dr. Kamba said. “PATH has supported us in responding to several epidemics, including the COVID-19 response.” Under the ministry’s leadership, the DRC has demonstrated remarkable resolve in responding to emerging health threats. The government's coordinated approach to managing the recent #mpox outbreak contributed to significant progress, leading the Africa CDC to lift the public health emergency status in January 2026—a testament to strong political leadership, effective coordination between the Prime Minister’s office and the Ministry of Health, and successful partnerships. The meetings underscore PATH's commitment to respectful partnership: listening to government priorities and supporting country-led solutions that improve health outcomes for all Congolese people, in line with President Félix Tshisekedi’s vision for universal health coverage.

Join us on February 25 for a webinar examining how routine immunization platforms are being used to strengthen malaria vaccine uptake in Burkina Faso and Mozambique. Moderated by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance's Eleonora Genovese and PATH's Saira Nawaz, the session will offer practical takeaways for global immunization partners. Presenters will share best practices, lessons learned, and early implementation insights from both countries. French and Portuguese interpretation will be available. ✍️ Register now: https://bit.ly/4riVInl #VaccinesWork #EndMalaria

Last week at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference, Sara Khalid, Alexo Esperato, Poruan Temu, Sarah Morris, and I had a conversation to explore the potential of emerging digital technologies and AI for equitable health futures during PS 3.2 “Digital Futures in a Demographic Shift.”    So, what can we do to make digital technologies and #AIforHealth work for all generations' benefit? 👇 🔹 Technology is a means, not the goal. Technology should be viewed as a tool that can lead to improved health, well-being, and social outcomes—not an end in itself. Human choice, values, and intent ultimately determine whether digital solutions contribute positively to health and well-being.   🔹 Start with the need, not the technology. Equitable digital and AI solutions begin with deep understanding of real needs. Co-designing with end users—especially in #LMIC—is essential to ensure tools are fit for purpose and truly serve the communities they aim to serve.   🔹 Invest in digital literacy to democratize access. Reducing barriers to entry for digital tools and investing in digital skills are critical so no one is left behind. A baseline level of digital literacy is now fundamental across populations and health systems.   🔹 Health system readiness is non-negotiable. For digital and AI solutions to work at scale, foundational health system enablers—strong data systems, governance frameworks, infrastructure, and workforce capacity—must be in place before scale.   🔹 Promise must come with accountability. AI and digital health hold great promise in transforming global health—but only if they are accountable to the communities they serve, incorporate local voices, and remain responsive to local needs.   🔹 Transparency, regulation, and legislation matter. Responsible AI use must be accompanied by rigorous research, strong regulatory frameworks, and clear acknowledgment of uncertainty and limitations. Claims of “perfect accuracy” should be treated with skepticism—continuous evaluation and transparency are essential.   ➡️ Bottom line: AI and digital technology can accelerate progress toward #HealthforAll—but only when anchored in strong health systems, clear governance and regulatory frameworks, and accountability to the communities they aim to serve.   #PMAC2026 #DigitalHealth #PlanetaryHealth   PATH | Asian Development Bank (ADB) | Audere | FHI 360 | Children and Climate Initiative | University of Oxford | Kimberly Green | Neeraj Jain | Nabeel Goheer | Davina Canagasabey

The new issue of Nature Health is out now, with a focus on large language models in low-resource health care settings (and a cover designed by PATH's Dave Simpson!). Inside, you can find the results of our LLM benchmarking study in Rwanda. Bilal A Mateen, Gwydion Williams, Samuel Rutunda, and Mira Emmanuel-Fabula led the Gates Foundation-funded project in partnership with Digital Umuganda, the Rwanda Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, and the University of Birmingham. ⚖️ Read the journal article: https://lnkd.in/gH6NjqdQ 📰 Check out the feature in Nature Magazine: https://lnkd.in/gdpciarw #AIForHealth #HealthEquity

In January, 50 students representing ten primary and secondary schools in Vietnam's Nghệ An province came together for the School Sports Ambassador Competition. 🏅 The event was part of the Community Sport and Health Cooperation Initiative, a three-year collaboration between the International Olympic Committee – IOC and the World Health Organization. PATH serves as the delivery lead for the initiative, which aims to build more active communities through community-based sport. In Vietnam, we're implementing the project in partnership with the Nghệ An Department of Education and Training. The competition provided a platform for young people to strengthen leadership, communication, teamwork, and critical thinking skills, building their capacity to support the sustained implementation of sport and health initiatives in their schools. ⬆️ A defining feature of the competition was its bottom-up and long-term approach, as students actively identified challenges in their schools and proposed context-appropriate solutions. 🙋♀️ Another key focus: promoting girls’ participation and leadership in sport. Girls comprised the majority of selected ambassadors and actively led efforts throughout the event. 💡 Through structured presentations, practical low-cost solutions, and sports-based activities, students demonstrated how physical activity can be integrated into daily school life in a fun, dynamic, and meaningful way. Moving forward, the Community Sport and Health Cooperation Initiative will continue to leverage multisector partnerships to support the sustainability and potential scale-up of this student-led model for healthier, more active schools. #SportsAmbassadors #GirlsInSport #Olympism365 Susanne Gaerte

In many low-resource areas, children with serious illnesses go undiagnosed due to a lack of basic tools. PATH introduced pulse oximeters and decision-support tools in clinics across four countries. With 1,400 providers trained, over 200,000 children received better care—proving that small, affordable technologies can dramatically improve #ChildHealth outcomes. PATH: The way to better health.

I am honoured to have been appointed Chair of the WHO Product Development for Vaccines Advisory Committee (PDVAC). PDVAC is an independent expert committee that advises WHO on vaccine priorities, product development approaches, and the manufacturing and delivery technologies needed to get vaccines to the people who need them most. In practical terms, this means helping shape how vaccines are developed, and how they reach communities in low and middle income countries. It is a privilege to work alongside such a distinguished group of colleagues, and I look forward to contributing to the committee's mission of ensuring that the global vaccine pipeline reflects the burden of disease worldwide. https://lnkd.in/eN4cKSA3

Thank you Dr. Ouma Oluga and Ministry of Health, Kenya for the strong and timely leadership on government-led coordination of health investments. At PATH, we value our longstanding partnership with the Ministry of Health and continue to align our work with national and county priorities to advance #UniversalHealthCoverage and quality care for all Kenyans.