Press Release: Lisbon to host WHO international conference on Artificial Intelligence in Health with representatives from 37 countries

Lisbon will host one of the world's leading international events on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health, bringing together Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Health, senior government officials, international organisations, experts, scholars, and policymakers from 37 countries across the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions.

The event is organised by the World Health Organization (WHO), in cooperation with Portugal's Ministry of Health, and aims to strengthen international cooperation on the ethical, safe, responsible and effective use of Artificial Intelligence to improve health systems, foster innovation, enhance the quality of healthcare, and address current and future public health challenges.

Proceedings began on 13 July with an international technical workshop on the opportunities and challenges of Artificial Intelligence in health, bringing together leading international experts, researchers, healthcare professionals, representatives of public institutions, universities, and international organisations.

The High-Level International Conference, "Shaping AI in Health", will take place on 15 and 16 July and will be the central event of the programme. It will bring together Ministers of Health, Deputy Ministers, Secretaries of State and other government representatives from the 37 participating countries, alongside senior officials from international organisations and leading experts.

Participating countries include Portugal, Brazil, Angola, East Timor, Armenia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India, among many others.

Senior representatives from the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Aga Khan University and the Gates Foundation will also attend.

The conference will feature Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe and one of the world's leading figures in the digital transformation of health systems, as well as Alain Labrique, Director of the WHO Department of Digital Health and Innovation, who leads the Organisation's global strategy on digital health and Artificial Intelligence.

The participation of government representatives from 37 countries reflects the growing international commitment to developing public policies that promote the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence, placing this technology at the service of more resilient, accessible and efficient health systems.

Alongside the international conference, a working meeting will bring together Ministers of Health and government representatives from Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, and East Timor to strengthen cooperation among Portuguese-speaking countries in the field of digital health. The meeting will promote the exchange of knowledge and best practices, support the development of common strategies and accelerate innovative solutions aimed at improving access to, quality and efficiency of healthcare.

Representatives of the WHO Collaborating Centres in Portugal will also take part in the meeting.

A press conference on the High-Level Conference will be held on 15 July at 11:20 a.m.

The press conference will be attended by Portugal's Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge, and Brazil's Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha.

The conference takes place as Portugal is seeking to host a WHO geographically dispersed office (GDO) dedicated to Artificial Intelligence in Health.