SA leads global effort to regulate AI mental-health tools

SA leads global effort to regulate AI mental-health tools

South Africa is at the forefront of establishing safety standards for artificial intelligence used in mental health, including therapy chatbots and diagnostic apps, as Sahpra unveils the Care MH programme. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) launched a pioneering initiative to create safety guidelines for AI mental-health tools, addressing concerns about unregulated therapy chatbots and diagnostic technologies.

The programme, Comprehensive AI Regulation and Evaluation for Mental Health (Care MH), seeks to set evidence-based standards that specify how AI technologies must be evaluated for safety, inclusivity, and effectiveness before they receive market authorisation. Sahpra developed Care MH in collaboration with Path, a global nonprofit focused on health equity, with financial support from Wellcome, a global health-research charitable foundation.

The Care MH initiative was announced during the G20 Social Summit held in Johannesburg. It covers AI’s expanding role in mental health care, from therapy applications to diagnostic tools. International experts and institutions backing the effort include Audere Africa, the African Health Research Institute, UK regulatory agencies, the University of Birmingham, the University of Washington, and the Wits Health Consortium.

Author's summary

SA leads a global push for AI mental-health safety standards through Care MH, uniting international partners and funders to ensure safe, inclusive, and effective AI tools before market release.

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https://novanews.co.za/ https://novanews.co.za/ — 2025-11-20

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