M42, the global health leader powered by artificial intelligence (AI), technology and genomics, announced its entry into Africa with a significant 10-year strategic partnership with the Ministry of Health of Botswana. The agreement, signed in Gaborone, Botswana’s capital, marks M42's first health systems partnership in Africa and a defining step in the company's international expansion.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Government of Botswana by Acting Permanent Secretary Dr Tshepo Machacha, in the presence of the Minister of Health, Dr. Stephen Modise, and Kareem Shahin, Chief Executive Officer of M42’s Digital Health Solutions platform and Group Chief Digital Officer.
The partnership is anchored in a decade-long commitment that will see M42 partner with Botswana on digital health transformation, a national genomics program, precision medicine and local and regional capacity development. The partnership will also involve M42 and Mubadala Bio, a life sciences company, working together with Botswana on the supply of pharmaceutical and medical equipment to help build a reliable and sustainable medical supply chain, enabling better access for the people of Botswana, and a more efficient and timely procurement process across the country.
The signing comes shortly after the Botswana Parliament approved the National Health Insurance Policy on 19 August 2026 presented by Dr Modise to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), guaranteeing equitable and affordable medical care for all citizens regardless of income or geographic location.
The agreement between Botswana and M42 is comprehensive in scope, aligning Botswana’s national healthcare agenda with M42’s proven strengths in clinical care, genomics, digital health, AI and capacity development. This enables M42 to contribute meaningfully to the long-term transformation of the country’s health system and help deliver meaningful impact for the people of Botswana, working in partnership with the country’s Ministry of Health to pave the way for a stronger, more responsive and sustainable healthcare system.
“This agreement is about strengthening our health security, building resilience into our supply chains, and ensuring that no patient in Botswana is left without the medicines and medical products they need because of avoidable delays. Through this partnership, we are opening a reliable gateway to medicines, medical supplies and health products whenever and wherever the country needs them,” said Dr Stephen Modise, Minister of Health of Botswana at the signing ceremony.
Commenting on the agreement, Dimitris Moulavasilis, Group Chief Executive of M42, said: “M42 has been accelerating our efforts to showcase our healthcare capabilities across the Global South, where we see a distinct opportunity for nations to leapfrog legacy systems and build digital and AI native health systems that are prevention first. This agreement marks our entry into Africa and presents an opportunity to deploy our full capabilities across digital health transformation, genomics, precision medicine and capacity development to help serve the people of Botswana in partnership with the country’s Ministry of Health.”
