Gooey-Powered Afiya AI Wins AI for Social Impact Initiative Grand Prize 2026

Afiya AI, an AI health agent created by UN-IOM Tunisia and powered by Gooey.AI, has won the AI for Social Impact Initiative Grand Prize 2026 at Ars Electronica. 🏆

Archana Prasad (Founder-CCO, Gooey.AI) with Shadi Henchiri, winner of the prize

Afiya addresses a critical challenge for migrants: navigating unfamiliar healthcare systems amid language barriers, limited health information, and difficulties accessing the right services. Deployed on WhatsApp, Afiya provides 24/7 multilingual health guidance, helping users understand care pathways, find nearby health facilities, and access essential health information.

Shadi Henchiri, (Senior Program Associate at UN-IOM Migration) Grand Prize Winner at Ars Electronica

The solution includes a service locator covering 2,000+ GPS-tagged health facilities, support for 20+ languages, and voice messaging for easier access for people with low literacy. It was piloted with 100 IOM beneficiaries, with the system refined based on user feedback and interaction data. The pilot focused on four key areas: vaccination, pregnancy, mental health, and access to nearby health services.

Shadi Henrichi giving a walkthrough of Afiya's pilot phase

The AI for Social Impact Initiative’s Grand Prize recognizes a project demonstrating how AI can be thoughtfully applied to improve access, inclusion, and health equity. Congratulations to Shadi Henchiri, UN-IOM Tunisia, and the Gooey Team on this well-deserved recognition!

Read about the project here: gooey.ai/un-iom