The International Digital Health & AI Research Collaborative (I-DAIR)

A Geneva-based platform is building a global network to steer digital health and artificial intelligence research toward the needs of low- and middle-income countries. The problem is that most digital health and AI research is driven by wealthy nations, leaving gaps in data, tools, and infrastructure where they are needed most. I-DAIR aims to democratise the research and development landscape by connecting researchers, funders, and policymakers across borders, with a focus on neglected populations and health systems. Wellcome’s £2 million grant over two years will fund the platform’s core capabilities—convening stakeholders, coordinating projects, and building partnerships. This complements a larger investment from Fondation Botnar, which is already funding a project team and a two-year incubation phase leading to a 2022 launch. If successful, I-DAIR could shift how digital health tools are designed and deployed globally. Instead of solutions flowing only from rich to poor countries, research networks in low- and middle-income countries could set priorities, generate data, and co-develop technologies that address their own health challenges. The platform is not a research project itself but an enabler—a catalyst for more equitable, inclusive, and responsible innovation in digital health and AI.