Aga Khan University Secures Spot in Prestigious Google.org AI Accelerator with Afya Gemma Project

Aga Khan University’s (AKU) groundbreaking AI-driven platform Afya Gemma has been selected to join the highly competitive 2025 Google.org Accelerator: Generative AI. Chosen from nearly 3,000 global applicants, the platform will receive funding and support aimed at advancing socially impactful applications of generative AI.

Developed by AKU’s Data Innovation Office, Afya Gemma is designed to assist clinicians in making real-time, evidence-based decisions tailored to Kenya’s healthcare context. The platform draws from anonymized local Electronic Health Records (EHRs), national clinical guidelines, and a curated library of peer-reviewed studies. It allows clinicians to access critical information through natural language queries in both English and Swahili.

“In Kenya, just over 10,000 doctors serve more than 52 million people, many in remote areas with limited access to specialists,” said Farhana Alarakhiya, Chief Data Innovation Officer at AKU and Principal Investigator of the project. “Afya Gemma is closing that gap by making clinical expertise more accessible through the power of generative AI.”

Through the Accelerator, Afya Gemma will benefit from a share of $30 million in support, including six months of technical training, pro bono expertise from Google employees, and access to Google Cloud credits. This backing will help expand the platform’s reach and functionality.

Initially, Afya Gemma will be rolled out across 40 facilities in the Aga Khan University Hospital and Aga Khan Health Services network. Its multilingual, locally informed design ensures relevance and usability across diverse healthcare settings.

This milestone underscores AKU’s commitment to health innovation and equity, aiming to scale data-driven, AI-powered healthcare solutions across Kenya and similar low-resource environments.