One year into our Global Grand Challenges grant, we’re building an inclusive, responsible AI assistant to support families and health teams managing sickle cell disease (SCD) in Kenya.

Project title: Leveraging AI to Address Disease Management Knowledge Gaps Among People Living with Sickle Cell Disease in Kenya
Grantee: Dennis Maorwe (DPE Company Ltd)
Grant page: Global Grand Challenges announcement

Why this matters

SCD is lifelong and complex. Day-to-day decisions – hydration, pain management, infection prevention, clinic follow-ups – are hard to navigate, especially for households with basic phones or limited data. By pairing inclusive channels like SMS/WhatsApp with a safety-reviewed AI assistant, we aim to reduce uncertainty for families and give public health teams clearer pathways to effective, culturally relevant behavior change.

What this project aims to achieve

• Support the planning and execution of behavior change interventions for people living with SCD
• Improve health outcomes by closing everyday knowledge gaps for patients and caregivers
• Generate tailored health messages across different disease-management stages
• Empower patients and families to take an active role in their health

What we’ll build (high level)

• An inclusive assistant for households and health teams: Practical guidance on the channels people already use including basic phones to coordinate messaging and support.
• A responsible AI core tailored to SCD: An LLM adapted with SCD management knowledge and evaluated for safety, clarity, and cultural fit.
• A collaborative space for message design and learning: Simple workflows for health stakeholders to shape messages, see what resonates, and iterate quickly from real-world feedback.
• A foundation for monitoring and accountability: Clear signals on reach and engagement, with documentation that supports learning, reporting, and responsible scale-up.

Responsible and inclusive by design

• Accessibility first: SMS remains a core touchpoint to reach low-tech users
• Grounded content: Retrieval-anchored workflows keep guidance reliable
• Evaluation & alignment: Ongoing checks for safety, comprehension, and context
• Human oversight: Health stakeholders set priorities, review outputs, and guide improvements

What’s next

In the months ahead, we’ll continue building, evaluating, and refining with stakeholders, then share learnings and a pathway to scale within public-health programs.

If you’re a health leader, clinician, researcher, or SCD community organization interested in partnering or learning more, we’d love to connect.

Media & partnerships: admin@dpe.co.ke
Grant page: Global Grand Challenges

Note: This work supports – not replaces – professional medical advice and care. Always consult qualified health workers for clinical decisions.