Partnering for Progress: The HealthAI Funders Council Has Officially Launched

BlogDigital TechnologiesGlobal Health
Written By Anna Brezhneva

HealthAI - ‘The Global Agency for Responsible AI in Health’, proudly marked a significant milestone on June 4, 2025, as it held the inaugural meeting of the HealthAI Funders’ Council. This advisory body brings together pioneering governments and institutions dedicated to advancing Responsible AI in Health. 

The Council was established to provide our funders with a meaningful way to engage with HealthAI. It is a platform for structured engagement between HealthAI’s independent governance and its donor partners, enabling funders to formally contribute to strategic decisions, strengthen global collaboration, receive regular updates about our projects, and ensure that our work remains aligned with evolving priorities in the AI for health space. This collaborative approach fosters transparency, accelerates impact, and places funders at the heart of global efforts to shape the ethical and effective use of AI in healthcare.

Members of the Council bring experience from diverse sectors, including government, philanthropy, and industry, and represent the global scope of HealthAI’s mission. The inaugural members of the HealthAI Funders’ Council include:

  • Dr. Aline Cossy-Gantner, Chief Development Officer, Fondation Botnar

  • Carla Cartwright, Head of Global Digital & Regulatory Policy, Johnson & Johnson 

  • Christian Wickert, Head of Global Digital Policy, Merck KGaA

  • Haitham El-noush, Senior Adviser, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation 

  • Adj Prof Dr Raymond Chua, Deputy Director-General of Health (Health Regulation), Ministry of Health, Singapore

We extend our most profound appreciation to the partners who have joined as inaugural members of the Funders’ Council. As early champions of responsible health innovation, their contributions go beyond funding: they represent a commitment to ensuring that transformative technologies serve global health needs, especially in the most underserved regions. Their support signals bold leadership at a critical moment for global health. To learn more about our Funders’ Council members, please visit our Governance page HERE.

All organisations supporting HealthAI’s mission are invited to join the Funders’ Council, with each organization appointing one representative during their active commitment period. Together, we are building a global ecosystem that advances responsible AI and supports resilient, inclusive health systems, promoting the right to health. 

We are excited to continue this work in partnership, and we welcome others to join us. To learn more about the Council or to get involved, please get in touch with Ms Anna Brezhneva, Head of Fundraising & Partnerships, at contact@healthai.agency.

Thank you to our founding donors for your trust, your leadership, and your unwavering commitment to global health.

Cover Image courtesy of Yan Krukau on Pexels

Anna Brezhneva

Anna Brezhneva is an international development and cooperation professional with over 10 years of experience in technical assistance, grant management, fundraising operations, and stakeholder engagement. She currently serves as the Resource Mobilization Manager at HealthAI, where she is responsible for developing and implementing the organization’s fundraising strategy and cultivating relationships with donors and partners. Previously, Anna was the Head of Business Operations at the WHO Foundation, where she oversaw digital transformation and strategic initiatives for fundraising operations. She also managed HealthAI’s operations during its initial start-up phase as I-DAIR. Anna has a background in international trade, having worked on a range of trade-related technical assistance projects for the International Trade Centre, WTO, World Bank, and various government agencies and trade associations. She holds an MA in Development Studies from The Graduate Institute, Geneva, and a BA in History and Politics from the University of Oxford.

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