Deadline: December 01, 2025
The GenAI for Good Challenge in 2025 invites innovators to develop an AI-powered, multilingual chatbot targeting Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) prevention and management, aimed at reducing the high burden of NCDs in The Gambia by delivering personalized health guidance through accessible digital platforms.
The chatbot focuses on scalable, inclusive digital health solutions with equity at the core, especially targeting low-literacy users, rural communities, and women. Its objectives include providing clear, evidence-based health advice, personalized recommendations for diet, activity, and risk factors, connecting users to local health services linked to national resources, enabling confidential conversations in multiple languages, and offering rapid-response messaging during health campaigns and emergencies.
Non-Communicable Diseases are the leading cause of premature death in The Gambia, with nearly half of adults living with hypertension and one in five facing multiple risk factors. This growing health burden strains families and overwhelms health systems. To address this, IEEE Humanitarian Technologies and the International Telecommunication Union, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on NCDs, are developing a scalable AI chatbot solution.
This chatbot will be accessible through WhatsApp, SMS, social media, and voice platforms, meeting people where they are. It is designed to be inclusive, employing voice prompts and local language options to reach diverse populations. By providing personalized health guidance and connecting users to local health services, the chatbot aims to empower users to prevent and manage chronic health risks effectively.
When deployed, this innovative health tool could reach up to 1.5 million people nationwide, save over US $5.5 million in health costs and productivity over 15 years, reduce avoidable hospital visits, and strengthen the efficiency of health systems. Additionally, it seeks to build long-term healthy behaviors, starting with youth engagement.
Selected teams move into deployment planning with IEEE, ITU, and in-country partners and access up to 25,000 USD in grants. The Challenge offers a structured framework built for deployment and real-world impact, supporting innovators to advance their solutions beyond prototyping to actual implementation in partnership with UN offices, national ministries, and other stakeholders.
The GenAI for Good Challenge offers innovators the opportunity to advance their solutions under a structured framework that supports real-world deployment and impact. Selected teams will prototype their AI-driven chatbots, receive expert feedback, and have access to grants for deployment planning in partnership with UN offices, national ministries, and other stakeholders.
For more information, visit IEEE Humanitarian Technologies.
