The Hub will be launched with a key focus on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH), one of the country’s most pressing public health priorities.
Lahore: (Urdu Point / Urdu Point / Pakistan Point News – March 20, 2026) Lahore University of Administrative Sciences (L) He received a major multi-year grant from Gates Foundation creates Pakistan’s first nationally coordinated artificial intelligence center.
the center It will be launched with a primary focus on maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), one of the country’s most pressing public health priorities, while being designed as a long-term national platform that will gradually expand to address other critical development challenges it faces. Pakistan.
The initiative also enjoys the support of Mubarak Imam, member of the Advisory Committee blackboard At Sayed’s Babar Ali school Science and Engineering (SBASSE) in L.
National Amnesty International center It is of great importance because it brings together two of the leading research universities in Pakistan, L and The Aga Khan University (AKU), to address the critical challenge of maternal, newborn and child health. L It will draw on its long-standing experience in the fields of artificial intelligence, language technologies, gender, and gender equality technology research and digital innovation in public health, while the Aga Khan University will serve as a key technical and clinical partner, contributing to the development of large maternal health data sets, providing clinical expertise, and supporting the evaluation and field testing of AI-supported interventions across diverse care settings. artificial intelligence center It will enable the development and scale-up of AI-driven healthcare solutions tailored to underserved populations in Pakistan, using timely predictive analytics to enhance prevention, early diagnosis and continuity of care. It is designed to achieve impact at the national level.
artificial intelligence center It will be led by Dr. Maryam Mustafa, Associate Professor of Computer Science at SBASSE, LIn close collaboration with Professor Faiza Jehan, Head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the Aga Khan University, in the clinical design and implementation. the center It will also take place government Partners, clinicians, AI researchers, policy makers and innovators to enhance early diagnosis, clinical decision making, referral pathways and continuity of care slim And newborns nationwide.
“This is a historic moment for both of them L and Pakistan“We are launching this,” said Dr. Maryam Mustafa center With maternal, newborn and child health because this is where the need is most urgent and the opportunity for immediate impact is greatest. in same Over time, our vision is to build a responsible, nationally focused AI platform, one that can grow over time to support multiple sectors where data-driven intelligence can strengthen public systems and improve lives across the country.
This national initiative builds on a previous successful grand challenges grant led by Dr. Maryam Mustafa, entitled Health Needs: Empowering Maternal Healthcare through Voice-Enabled Electronic Records Management. The project showed how to sound technology Multilingual interfaces can support frontline health workers and improve continuity of care in low-resource settings.
Sharing her views, Ms. Mubarak Imam said: “I am honored to support the first artificial intelligence in Pakistan centerA pioneering partnership between… L & Aga Khan University.
Limited access to specialized expertise continues to lead to loss of life and preventable conditions poor Health outcomes among slim children; AI can change that by democratizing world-class medical knowledge for front-line healthcare workers from astor l Visits. this center It is designed to deliver impact, equipping researchers, clinicians and entrepreneurs to address Pakistan’s toughest challenges, starting with maternal, newborn and child health, and creating scalable models for the Global South.
Pakistan continues to face one of the highest maternal and neonatal mortality rates in the region. Maternal mortality currently stands at 186 deaths per 100,000 live births, due to limited access to quality pre- and post-natal care; shortage of skilled health workers; weak referral systems; and delays in the management of critical complications such as bleeding, eclampsia, and sepsis. These challenges are exacerbated by language and literacy barriers, fragmented health data systems, and social and economic constraints that delay timely care.
artificial intelligence center You will address these gaps by working within existing health systems to deploy ethical, evidence-based and locally relevant AI tools, and by delivering timely, life-saving support closer to the world. slim And the families who need it most. For a mother living in a remote village, this may mean early recognition of risks associated with pregnancy and quicker referrals if complications occur. These also include risk prediction systems and AI-powered decision support systems for frontline health workers; Speech-based and multilingual tools to bridge literacy and language barriers; Strengthening referral and follow-up mechanisms; and frameworks to enable interoperability across health data systems. the center It is explicitly designed to go beyond proof-of-concept pilots by integrating AI tools into national care pathways and enabling sustainable system-wide impact.
Besides its initial focus on maternal, child and child health, A.I center It is expected to serve as a national platform for responsible innovation in AI in line with Pakistan’s public interest priorities. As it matures, the Centre’s infrastructure, management and technical capabilities will be expanded to include additional areas of national relevance.
The initiative will also strengthen Pakistan’s AI ecosystem through capacity building, policy development, AI governance, and support startups working at the intersection of AI and social impact, while strengthening Pakistan’s commitments under United Nations The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, especially with regard to reducing maternal and newborn mortality.
With this historic investment Pakistan It joins a small group of countries building accountable, nationally coordinated AI platforms to address maternal and newborn health, laying the foundation for broader impact across sectors.
This initiative is consistent with similar efforts supported by the Gates Foundation Africawhere artificial intelligence measurement centers are being established Rwanda, Nigeria, Senegaland Kenya As national platforms for scaling up mature AI solutions in health fields, educationand agriculture By coordinating ecosystem actors, enabling access to data and computing, and embedding solutions into public systems.