The Afiya AI (Artificial Intelligence) Solution is a transformative Social Solution initiative designed to bridge the knowledge gap between the migrant population and the essential healthcare systems they are often struggling to navigate. At its core, the project is a 24/7 WhatsApp-based AI workflow that serves as an intelligent intermediary, guiding individual migrants through the complexities of foreign health infrastructures.  

The name "Afiya," means health and well-being, and reflects the project's primary mission: to restore dignity and agency to those navigating the intersection of migration and health risks. The initiative recognizes that in the modern humanitarian landscape, a smartphone is more than a communication device; it is a tool for survival. By integrating AI models into a platform that migrants already trust and use daily, Afiya AI transforms technical innovation into a tangible human right—“the right to health”. This project represents a shift toward digital humanitarian use, where AI helps solve one of the most fundamental human challenges, accessing health services to preserve the public health of our communities.  

The concept of Afiya AI is situated within a highly complex migration landscape in North Africa. The deterioration of the health status of migrant’s individuals has reached a critical point. Migrants often arrive at aid centers presenting with advanced medical conditions that have been left untreated due to long journeys and systemic neglect. The medical reality showed us: there is a high prevalence of infectious diseases, alongside significant needs for maternal health care, maternal and child health support. These individuals face a multi-layered barrier. Most lack any form of health insurance or formal identification documents, which leads to excessive health costs as simple conditions escalate into life-threatening emergencies.  

The Afiya AI (Artificial Intelligence) Solution: developed by Gooey.AI, supported by the Rockefellar Foundation.  

Shadi Henchiri (TN) is a global health and migration enthusiast with over five years of experience across international organizations and public health initiatives His work has included strengthening HIV information systems and contributing to global health and disease-related initiatives. He also worked with The World Organisation for Animal Health on scientific reviews. Shadi holds a master’s degree in Global Health Leadership & Policy from the University of Washington as a Fulbright Program scholar.

Migration, driven by conflict, climate change, economic desperation, and political violence, is one of the defining humanitarian challenges of our time. Migrants, particularly those who are displaced or undocumented, face layered health vulnerabilities: interrupted care, unfamiliar systems, language barriers, trauma, and the persistent fear that seeking help may itself expose them to risk. Health equity for migrants is therefore not merely a matter of access—it is also a matter of dignity, trust, and the systemic recognition of shared humanity. 
 
This project was recognized unanimously by the jury for its ambition, technical sophistication, and deeply human orientation. Rather than offering a single-point solution, it builds a layered ecosystem that connects migrants to health information, services, and support in ways that are genuinely responsive to their circumstances and constraints. The integration of psychosocial dimensions alongside conventional health metrics was particularly significant to the jury. Migrant health does not just refer to physical health—it encompasses care of mind, memory, and relationships disrupted and, at times, rebuilt. 
 
The jury also sees in this project an important contribution to a broader societal conversation. As climate change accelerates displacement and political pressures continue to reshape borders, the ways institutions respond to mobile and vulnerable populations will help define the ethical character of our societies. This project offers both a practical tool and a moral proposition: that technology, when designed with justice at its core, can form part of the answer.