Google.org Grants Helium Health $2.5 million to Deploy AI for Maternal Care in Nigeria

Helium Health Secures $2.5 Million Google Grant

Nigerian health‑tech company Helium Health announced that it has been awarded a $2.5 million (≈ N3.4 billion) grant from Google.org. The funding will support the deployment of artificial‑intelligence (AI) models across primary healthcare facilities to improve maternal health delivery. This funding forms a component of Google.org’s $30 million Impact Challenge, which focuses on AI for Government Innovation. Helium Health is the only Nigerian organisation selected among 15 global recipients. The initiative, called HeliumMum, will begin in Lagos and then expand to Delta, Kano and Oyo states. The launch was formally presented in Lagos during an executive briefing that included Google and Helium Health executives and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo‑Olu.

Background

Helium Health has been active in maternal health for over a decade. Its programmes have already reached more than 3.5 million women across Nigeria. In August 2026, co‑founder and former CEO Adegoke Olubusi stepped down, handing the chief executive role to co‑founder Dimeji Sofowora. According to Dr Shona Oluwatola, the company's Head of Public Health, Nigeria faces a substantial number of maternal deaths, representing close to 10% of the worldwide total. The HeliumMum programme aims to use AI‑driven risk detection combined with electronic medical records to help community health workers identify pregnancy complications earlier and connect expectant mothers to appropriate care.

Why it Matters

The grant will enable Helium Health to scale its existing interventions and reach an additional 1.9 million pregnant women over the next three years. The company’s goal is to contribute to a 30 % reduction in maternal mortality in Nigeria. By deploying AI tools in primary care settings, the programme seeks to improve clinical decision‑making and increase timely access to maternal healthcare services. The project’s focus on Lagos as an operational launchpad reflects the city’s role as a hub for healthcare innovation. Successful implementation in Lagos is expected to provide a model for expansion into the other target states.

What Happens Next

Helium Health is set to obtain technical assistance from Google engineers and AI product specialists via a specialized Google.org Accelerator initiative. The rollout will begin in Lagos, with subsequent phases planned for Delta, Kano and Oyo states. No specific dates for the start of each phase were announced, but the executive briefing indicated that the implementation roadmap has already been presented to state officials. The company has not yet disclosed detailed milestones or monitoring mechanisms, but it has stated that the AI‑powered clinical decision‑support tools will be integrated into existing primary maternal healthcare services.

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["google.org","heliumhealth","maternalhealth","nigeria","ai"]