Amazon Web Services is committing $100 million in AI and cloud technology over five years to help healthcare organizations develop solutions aimed at improving access to care for underserved populations worldwide.
The company announced the AWS Health Impact Initiative Nov. 9. It will provide eligible organizations with access to AI, agentic services and cloud infrastructure to develop and scale healthcare solutions.
AWS said organizations that serve underserved communities risk falling behind in adopting AI, which could widen existing health gaps. The company cited a World Economic Forum projection that generative AI use will grow faster in healthcare than in any other domain.
Rowland Illing, chief medical officer and director of healthcare and life sciences at AWS, said AI tools often fail to reach the communities that need them most unless organizations know how to access and deploy them.
The initiative is open to healthcare nonprofits, government agencies, research institutions, technology companies and other industry organizations. It will support projects ranging from early prototypes to production-ready applications.
AWS identified three areas of focus for the initiative: expanding access to healthcare services, advancing women’s and children’s health research, and improving access to nutritious food.
In healthcare delivery, the company plans to support AI and cloud-based solutions designed to expand access to community health services, outpatient care, hospital services and diagnostic testing. The initiative also targets healthcare infrastructure in rural and remote communities and other underserved areas.
The research component will support projects addressing gaps in women’s and children’s health data, including pediatric and gender-specific genetic risks and precision medicine applications.
Organizations can apply for support through their AWS account teams or a public application portal. Selected applicants will receive cloud credits based on their estimated technology needs or up to $10,000 in credits to begin their projects. The credits are valid for 12 months and may be extended to 24 months.
AWS said applications will be reviewed weekly.
The initiative builds on AWS’ previous health technology investments, including its Health Equity Initiative, launched in 2021, which provided $60 million in AI and cloud technology support to more than 400 recipients.
AWS said its health-focused social impact investments have supported more than 600 organizations across more than 80 countries since 2021.
