AI Companion for Frontline Health Workers – System Integration, Development and Deployment

The World Health Organization, hereinafter referred to as WHO, hereby invites prospective Proposers to submit a proposal in accordance with the General Conditions of Contract and the Terms of Reference as set out in this Request for Proposal (RFP). 

Background

Frontline workers in remote, rural, island and underserved settings often provide first-contact care without an on-site doctor, reliable internet, stable electricity, rapid diagnostic support or manageable reporting systems. Their practical challenges are clear: no one to guide, no doctor reachable and too much paperwork. The AI Companion responds by giving frontline workers one trusted workflow rather than multiple disconnected tools. It shall use approved local guidelines, support offline work, keep data secure locally when connectivity is unavailable, queue reports and referrals for synchronization, and enable store-and-forward or live escalation to doctors or supervisors when risk is high, AI confidence is low or national protocols require human review. Power resilience, including solar charging or battery backup where needed, is a practical requirement for remote use rather than an optional add-on.

Introduction

The purpose of this assignment is to engage a qualified system integrator to deliver an AI Companion for Frontline Health Workers as a software-first, mobile-first and offline-ready digital co-worker for underserved settings where doctors are not present. In Phase 1, the AI Companion shall help frontline nurses, midwives and community health workers to: (i) receive guideline-based clinical and nursing support through Care Guide; in phase 2 further features will be added, including the ability to: (ii) capture records and reports through Scan-2-Report; and in phase 3 (iii)to connect to remote doctor or supervisor support through Doctor Finder . Phase 2 planning and financial proposal should be included in this proposal, with clear delineation between phases. Phase 3 would be subject to a separate request for proposals, but the tool developed should be compatible with the Phase 3 future feature development. Where countries approve the scope, community volunteers may be supported through simplified, non-diagnostic workflows such as danger-sign prompts, follow-up reminders, health promotion, referral prompts and reporting support.

Instructions for Submission of Proposals

• Proposals must be submitted no later than 31 July 2026, 5PM, GMT+8.
• Submit your proposals via WHO e-Tendering Platform (In-Tend).
• Alternatively, you may submit to WPRO UNGM at wproungm@who.int. Please use the subject line WPRO/DAF/SAO/SUP/P/0009308 in all email submissions.