Health & Care
Deployed
Addressing AI Bias in Maternal Healthcare in Southern Africa
An ethnographic research into the datasets powering maternal healthcare app “DawaMom” used across Zambia and other Southern African countries (LUSAKA, ZAMBIA | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2024) — Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) are expected to strengthen access to quality healthcare , offering new opportunities to improve maternal health. In Zambia, where a newborn dies every 30 minutes and a stillbirth occurs every hour in certain regions, AI-driven solutions are perceived as a crucial lifeline in reducing maternal and child mortality rates. Research published today by Min’enhle Ncube from the University of Cape Town, notes that as maternal health AI solutions emerge, they risk replicating biases due to datasets that do not reflect culturally relevant practices and knowledge. Her study, “ Incomplete Chronicles: Unveiling Data Bias in Maternal Health” focuses on one such AI solution, the DawaMom app developed by Lusaka-based startup Dawa Health . The DawaMom app provides personalized healthcare guidance to expectant mothers. Dawa Health clinicians conduct home visits to build this dataset, gathering information on demographics, medical history, and key health indicators. AI then processes this data, identifying patient risks and enabling early interventions for high-risk conditions. Ncube’s research is supported by Mozilla as part of the Africa Mradi grants supporting interdisciplinary researchers investigating the impact of AI on communities in Eastern and S
Preservation & Provenance
Piloted
Mozilla Expands Volunteer-led Push for Inclusive AI in Taiwanese Indigenous Languages
Mozilla’s Common Voice now features 60 hours of speech datasets in eight new Indigenous languages. Meet the Taiwan Language volunteers at RightsCon on February 27, 2025, in Taipei As thousands of languages face extinction, linguistic and heritage preservation has never been more critical. In Taiwan, a grassroots volunteer community is utilizing Mozilla’s Common Voice platform — the world’s largest public participation open speech dataset, to preserve Indigenous languages and help build inclusive, voice-enabled AI solutions. Common Voice, a volunteer-led initiative with over 200 languages, including Traditional Mandarin and Taiwanese Hokkien, will now include eight Indigenous Formosan languages: Atayal, Bunun, Paiwan, Rukai, Oponoho, Teldreka, Seediq, and Sakizaya. The launch of these languages coincides with International Mother Language Day – this year celebrated on February 21, 2025. Over 60 hours of speech data have already been collected by the local Indigenous language teachers around the island, with the help of the Mozilla Taiwan community, led by Irvin Chen, in collaboration with the Wikimedia Foundation in Taiwan. The dataset will be available to download in June. “We carry our identity and heritage through our language. By bringing our culture into technology, we’re not just preserving words, we’re keeping our cultures alive,” says Chen. The expansion of Taiwanese Indigenous languages is part of Mozilla’s Open Multilingual Speech initiative, a broader effort to supp
Health & Care
Prototype
The women’s Innovation Factory winner of 2025: MamaMate
Taking home the top prize at the Women’s Innovation Factory Pitching Competition 2025 is Ele-vate AI Africa, a startup committed to supporting mothers in their journey. When Yvonne Baldwin, co-founder and CEO of Ele-vate Africa, became a new mother, she experienced at first hand what many women across Africa know too well: the early days of motherhood can feel overwhelming, lonely, and unsupported, especially in places where information, mental health resources, and reliable care are hard to come by. That experience inspired MamaMate, a simple, pocket-sized smart device built for first-time mothers in rural and underserved communities. Powered by AI, MamaMate helps new mums track baby care activities like feeding and sleep, provides culturally relevant nutrition tips, checks in on their emotional wellbeing, and even enables anonymous encouragement from peer mums. And crucially, it works offline, through solar or USB charging, designed with low-literacy and low-connectivity settings in mind. The post The women’s Innovation Factory winner of 2025: MamaMate appeared first on AI for Good .
Climate & Biosphere
Prototype
Crowdsourcing AI Solutions for Climate Change: IAEA, ITU, FAO, UNESCO and the World Bank Launch …
The post Crowdsourcing AI Solutions for Climate Change: IAEA, ITU, FAO, UNESCO and the World Bank Launch appeared first on AI for Good .