Helium Health gets ₦3.4 billion Google grant to fight maternal deaths with AI
- Helium Health has received a $2.5 million (about ₦3.4 billion) grant from Google.org to use artificial intelligence in maternal healthcare.
- The programme, HeliumMum, will start in Lagos before expanding to Delta, Kano and Oyo states, targeting 1.9 million women over three years.
- The company aims to help cut maternal deaths by 30% by identifying pregnancy risks early and linking women to care.
Nigerian health technology company Helium Health has received a $2.5 million grant, about ₦3.4 billion, from Google.org to use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve maternal healthcare in Nigeria.
The grant was announced on Wednesday. Helium is the only Nigerian organisation among 15 recipients of the $30 million Google.org Impact Challenge: AI for Government Innovation, which supports groups working with governments to improve public services.
The money will fund HeliumMum, the company's maternal health programme. It will begin in Lagos and then extend to Delta, Kano and Oyo states.
Helium Health says the programme aims to reach an additional 1.9 million women over three years and contribute to a 30 per cent reduction in maternal mortality.
The company says it has already reached more than 3.5 million women through its maternal health work over the past decade.
How the AI will work
HeliumMum will use AI tools to help pregnant women spot possible complications early and connect them with healthcare providers.
The platform will link women to facilities that use electronic medical records and AI-powered clinical decision-support systems. These tools are meant to help health workers make better-informed decisions and give appropriate care.
The initiative will also give governments data to identify gaps in maternal health services and strengthen them.
Dr Shona Oluwatola, Head of Public Health at Helium Health, said Nigeria accounts for nearly three in every 10 maternal deaths globally.
Behind every maternal death is a woman whose family expected her to come home,
she said.
She said the goal is to ensure no woman dies simply because she did not know she was at risk or could not get the care she needed.
Dimeji Sofowora, Helium Health's chief executive, said the grant would let the company build on its existing work and reach more women with quality maternal healthcare.
The rollout plan was presented in Lagos during a briefing with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, led by executives from Google and Helium Health.
Google.org's Global Head, Maggie Johnson, said the selected organisations would get funding and free support from Google's own AI experts through an accelerator programme.
She said AI holds great potential to transform public services, but there is often a gap between promise and practice.
The grant comes as Nigerian health technology companies face a tougher fundraising climate. Funding in the sector fell from nearly $55 million in 2023 to about $18 million in 2024 and $3 million in 2025, according to a TechCabal Insights report.
What happens next
Helium Health will take part in a Google.org accelerator, with technical support from Google engineers and AI product experts.
The company will roll out the programme first in Lagos, then in Delta, Kano and Oyo states, working with primary healthcare facilities and community health workers.
