The university wants access to health facilities for a pilot that would test whether artificial intelligence can improve patient care and decision-making in Ghana.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi has begun talks with the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) on applying artificial intelligence (AI) and other science-based tools to health service delivery in Ghana.
AI refers to computer systems that can analyse large amounts of data and assist with tasks that normally require human judgement, such as spotting patterns in patient records or flagging cases for review. The GMTF is the state fund set up to support specialised healthcare, particularly for patients with non-communicable conditions.
What the two sides discussed
A KNUST delegation visited the Trust Fund for a working session, according to Adom Online. The team was led by the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Asamoah, who attended on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor.
The conversation centred on where AI and scientific innovation could ease pressure in the health sector, raise efficiency and lead to better results for patients.
Professor Asamoah said the university wants to work with the GMTF so that research and technology produce practical benefits for the health sector, rather than staying on paper.
A pilot in real health facilities
The most concrete part of the proposal is a pilot programme. KNUST is asking the GMTF to make some of the health facilities and centres it supports available so that AI-driven tools can be tested in a live clinical setting.
Such a pilot would allow the two institutions to measure whether the technology genuinely helps health workers, shortens service delays and produces data that managers can use when taking decisions.
The talks also covered a second track: using AI inside the Trust Fund itself. Areas mentioned included data management, monitoring of its programmes and better coordination of the interventions it funds.
Why it matters
For the GMTF, the engagement is part of a wider push to build partnerships with universities, scientific bodies and professional institutions so that its money stretches further and specialised care improves.
For KNUST, it offers a route for its research output to reach hospitals and clinics. If the pilot works, the intention is to scale the approach across the health sector, creating a standing link between research, technology and day-to-day clinical practice.
Ghanaians abroad have a direct stake in this. Many in the United States and elsewhere pay for the care of relatives at home, and weak data systems are one reason costs and waiting times are hard to predict. Tools that improve record-keeping and monitoring could make treatment easier to track from a distance.
What happens next
At this stage nothing has been signed. The visit was exploratory, and neither institution has announced a timeline, a budget or the specific facilities that would host the pilot. The next step would be an agreement setting out what is tested, where and for how long.
