ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) in healthcare is set to become a major focus across Europe and Central Asia after all 53 Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region unanimously adopted a regional roadmap to guide its safe, ethical and effective integration into health systems
Approved during the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, the roadmap establishes a shared vision for improving patient care, supporting healthcare professionals and advancing universal health coverage
AI Healthcare Roadmap Establishes Regional Priorities
The roadmap, covering 2026–2033, represents the first coordinated regional approach to AI implementation in healthcare across Europe and Central Asia
Developed in consultation with Member States, it identifies four interconnected priorities: governance and leadership; ethical, regulatory and legal frameworks; data and digital infrastructure; and capacity building, implementation support and learning
The strategy draws on findings from the first region-wide assessment of AI readiness for health, published in 2025, which incorporated responses from 50 of the 53 Member States
These findings demonstrated growing interest in healthcare AI while identifying areas requiring further development
Patient Safety and Healthcare Workforce Take Priority
The roadmap emphasises responsible AI adoption through regulatory safeguards, secure data access, interoperability and cybersecurity
It also highlights the importance of workforce training, sustainable investment and real-world evaluation to ensure AI technologies deliver measurable benefits
Potential clinical applications include earlier disease detection, identifying patient deterioration, reducing administrative workloads and supporting access to health information
Dr Corinne Capuano, Officer-in-Charge for WHO/Europe, highlighted the importance of collaboration in ensuring AI remains safe, effective and equitable
The strategy also recognises that AI should support rather than replace human relationships in healthcare, with patient trust and people-centred care remaining central priorities
European Governments Commit to Coordinated Implementation
The roadmap aligns with existing European and international regulatory frameworks, including the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, European Health Data Space and General Data Protection Regulation
An accompanying implementation guide provides countries with a scalable framework tailored to different levels of digital maturity
Member States also supported establishing a new WHO office dedicated to AI, intended to strengthen technical assistance, workforce capabilities and knowledge exchange
The initiative aligns with wider regional and global digital health strategies, reinforcing a coordinated approach to healthcare transformation
Overall, the roadmap establishes a framework for governments and healthcare organisations to develop trustworthy AI systems while prioritising patient safety, clinical effectiveness and equitable access
Image credit: Adobestock / scorcom
Author:
Sean Boyle
