Agenda Item 12.10
Chair, Director-General, distinguished colleagues,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of all six WHO Regional Directors.
We strongly support bringing digital health, artificial intelligence governance, and precision medicine together within a single agenda — because all three depend on the same foundations: trusted data, interoperable systems, and strong governance.
Across all regions, progress is accelerating. One hundred and twenty-nine Member States now have national digital health strategies. The Global Digital Health Certification Network already serves 1.8 billion people across eighty countries.
Yet fragmentation remains a major challenge. Without strong foundations, artificial intelligence risks amplifying inequities rather than reducing them.
Chair,
Three principles should guide the next Global Strategy on Digital Health.
First, foundations before frontiers. Countries need interoperable systems, digital public infrastructure, and effective data governance before advanced technologies can deliver impact safely and at scale.
Second, harmonization must not mean homogenization. Global standards should support countries while respecting national legal, ethical, and resource contexts.
Third, equity must be designed in from the beginning.
In our Region, countries are increasingly moving from pilots to population-scale implementation. India’s Strategy on Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and our Regional Open Digital Health Summit reflect growing momentum and strong South–South collaboration.
Regional Offices play a critical role in translating global guidance into country-level implementation and measurable impact.
Our Region stands ready to contribute its experience and lessons learned.
I thank you.