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AWS Earmarks Another $20M To Fix Health Inequality with Cloud
Amazon Web Services is committing millions more to its existing effort to support tech companies that are using its vast cloud power to address health inequality.
The company is earmarking $20 million for its AWS Health Equity Initiative, which was launched in 2021 to support organizations that are building AWS-based solutions that aim to improve the accessibility and quality of healthcare for underserved populations. At the start, the initiative had $40 million in AWS funding, which was distributed to qualifying organizations in the form of AWS cloud credits and technical support.
As of this month, AWS has already distributed all but $10 million of those funds. The additional $20 million in funding, announced last week, raises the total of available funds to $30 million.
AWS is specifically looking to support applications that increase healthcare access, address "social determinants of health," improve the quality of healthcare data and expand access to diagnostic services.
In addition, AWS has created "a new funding area" for cloud solutions that work to understand the impacts of climate change on public health.
Organizations interested in applying for AWS support have the opportunity to submit applications three times a year. In 2024, those dates are March 31, June 30 and Nov. 15. Accepted applicants will receive, at AWS' discretion, a certain amount of AWS credits that can be used for "compute, storage, database, machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), analytics, containers, robotics, quantum services, and more."
They will also receive technical support via the AWS Professional Services program.
"We've seen participants in the Health Equity Initiative create incredible solutions that effectively address the equity gaps in accessing quality health services. Organizations have been able to use cloud technology to invent new ways to provide critical care to historically underserved populations in projects across 28 countries," said Danielle Morris, global health equity lead at AWS, in a prepared statement. "From helping build more diverse health data stores to using artificial intelligence (AI) for early stroke diagnoses, these organizations are developing solutions that are changing the game for populations with otherwise limited access."
More information on the program, including application requirements, is available here.