A WHO report on a five-year digital transformation strategy framework was the focus of a debate last week over who owns the data in the future of AI and digital health, and the potential for risks without representative, reliable data, while healthcare staff poaching and dodgy medications also came under the spotlight, reports Health Policy Watch.
At the World Health Organisation (WHO) executive board meeting, low and middle-income countries warned that the rapid deployment of new technologies risked accelerating data extraction and increasing inequality, cautioning that without strict AI governance, sustainable financing and equitable guardrails, the implementation of AI in health systems would compromise “data sovereignty”.
The WHO report outlining the framework for a digital transformation strategy that would span 2028 to 2033 highlighted the profound shifts driven by AI and genomics, with the authors noting that many member states remain paralysed by “fragmented systems with limited interoperability”, and warning that without reliable, representative data, AI risks amplifying biases and inefficiencies.
“Innovation alone is not enough,” stated Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe. “Without skills, governance and trust, digital tools widen gaps instead of closing them.”
Based on the deliberations, the Secretariat will continue its technical work on the strategy. The WHO has also established a tripartite collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union and the World Intellectual Property Organisation.
Steps forward
A decision was made to accelerate consultations to strengthen the global health workforce code, while the fight against substandard medicines moves to a new operational phase under an approved work plan.
Regarding the issue of AI and digital health, a regulatory rift is opening as high-income regions press forward. While the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have established guiding principles on AI, a formal global standard remains elusive.
The European Union, represented by Bulgaria, argued that health data and information systems are the “essential foundation”, calling for the WHO to lead harmonisation efforts focusing on autonomy, safety, well-being of patients and healthcare professionals.
However, the African Region and other LMICs shifted the focus from technical standards to ownership. Cameroon, speaking for the region, called for rigorous ethical governance.
The prevailing fear is that international companies will harvest data from the Global South to train AI models or develop products that are then sold back for profit.
Rich nations urged to ‘pay up’ for imported health talent
The board also confronted the escalating crisis of health worker migration, reviewing new data confirming that active recruitment from nations with fragile health systems is intensifying the ‘brain drain’ to plug staffing gaps in the Global North.
Zimbabwe, speaking for the African Region, issued a sharp rebuke of current practices. “Targeted recruitment continues to strain our fragile health systems,” the delegate warned. The region demanded that development banks and donor agencies move beyond rhetoric to “co-invest” in the education and retention of the workforce in source countries.
The United Kingdom, a major destination country, maintained that the Global Code of Practice remains “central to ethical international recruitment.” However, the UK acknowledged the need for clearer guidance on safeguards and supported a process to refine the Code’s application.
The Secretariat and member states agreed to launch informal consultations to draft a decision for the World Health Assembly, with talks to focus on specific additions to the Code, like co-investment mechanisms and protections for care workers.
Debate on substandard medicines ongoing
The board also discussed the lethal proliferation of substandard and falsified medical products, the WHO’s surveillance system having recorded more than 10 000 suspect products since 2013.
Togo, speaking for the African Region, characterised the issue as a “scourge,” exacerbated by open borders and informal markets. The region called for “innovative financing” to support regulatory authorities in resource-poor settings, where the risk of infiltration into public supply chains remains high.
The Secretariat will now develop the draft global strategy for 2028 to 2033, which is scheduled for submission to the board at its 160th session in January 2027 before final consideration by the 80th World Health Assembly.
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