On December 16, Friends of the Global Fight and the Alliance hosted a virtual private dialogue, “Leveraging AI  for Efficient, Resilient Supply Chains in Global Health,” to explore the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in improving medical supply chains worldwide. The event brought together technology innovators and supply chain, digital tech, and private sector partnership leads from The Global Fund, along with other members of the Friends Private Sector Advisory Council.

The dialogue, including opening remarks from Alliance member, Chevron, featured leaders from Alliance members, Nexleaf Analytics and Pendulum, along with Atlas AI and Qure.ai, and highlighted AI’s use in demand forecasting, optimizing logistics, predictive analytics, and real-time monitoring systems to ensure medical resources reach communities efficiently. 

Participants also acknowledged significant challenges: infrastructure limitations, inconsistent data quality, country readiness for digital transformation, and the need for effective regulatory frameworks. The panel emphasized practical implementation strategies and cross-sector collaboration to address these barriers. Recommendations included building sustainable markets for AI solutions, integrating innovations with existing systems, and prioritizing country ownership to ensure long-term impact. Leaders also stressed that AI adoption must go hand-in-hand with capacity-building, focusing on workforce training and local infrastructure. Ongoing dialogue and learning — notably with the Global Fund, which is making strides in scaling the use of AI — was additionally supported.

Stay tuned for a Spring 2025 report from Friends of the Global Fight, “The Global Fund as Catalyst for Global Health Innovation.”