Microsoft is reminding us big corporations can sometimes do good in the world with a $40 million AI healthcare initiative.
In a blog post today, Microsoft chief data analytics officer John Kahan detailed the new initiative which aims to advance the health of people and communities around the world.
Kahan notes how, on the whole, people have never been healthier or safer. He particularly highlights the steep decline in child and maternal mortality rates.
However, this progress has not been shared equally around the world. Some areas are still underserved with a lack of access to even basic healthcare.
The initiative Microsoft is launch, AI for Health, is a five-year program which focuses on three key areas:
- Quest for discovery. Accelerating medical research to advance prevention, diagnoses and treatment of diseases
- Global health insights. Increasing our shared understanding of mortality and longevity to protect against global health crises
- Health equity. Reducing health inequity and improving access to care for underserved populations
The money committed by Microsoft will help fund nonprofits, researchers, and others, who are working to improve healthcare around the world using AI. Partners in the program will have access to Microsoft’s data scientists and AI and cloud tools.
Microsoft is expanding its cooperation with BRAC, PATH, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, to help speed up their work in tackling things like childhood cancer, tuberculosis, and maternal mortality.
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