WORLD – The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a growing gap between the adoption of artificial intelligence in healthcare and the development of frameworks to govern its use, with WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge noting that only 8% of countries in the WHO European Region have a dedicated health AI strategy.
Kluge made the remarks in a WHO statement issued on 15 July 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal. He noted that nearly two-thirds of countries in the Region are already using AI in diagnostics, while half have introduced AI-powered patient chatbots.
According to Kluge, this means countries are deploying a technology that is expected to reshape healthcare and medicine, while only around one in 12 countries has a clear strategy for governing its use responsibly.
A WHO/Europe assessment of AI readiness across its 53 Member States found that 98% of countries identify improving patient care as the primary driver of AI adoption.
Kluge also pointed to tangible benefits from AI in healthcare, citing an example from Coimbra, Portugal, where AI-powered image analysis is helping clinicians identify thoracic diseases and bone fractures more quickly, contributing to shorter waiting times in primary care and emergency settings.
However, the assessment also revealed significant gaps in governance and training. Kluge said that only one in five countries provides AI-specific education to health professionals before they qualify, while one in four offers such training once professionals enter the workforce.
In addition, fewer than half of the countries in the Region have assessed whether their legal frameworks are fit for AI use, while nearly 40% have no ethical guidance on the use of AI in health.
Kluge warned that if governance continues to lag behind AI deployment, the human consequences could increase. Biased algorithms could contribute to incorrect diagnoses, while health workers may be expected to rely on AI systems they cannot adequately understand or assess, potentially leading to errors beyond their control.
To address these gaps, Kluge called for three key actions. First, governance must keep pace with AI deployment, with every country using AI in healthcare developing a clear strategy, liability standards and training for health professionals using these tools.
Second, he stressed the importance of international cooperation. WHO has brought together 37 countries from all six WHO regions in Lisbon to exchange experiences and identify the support needed to make AI in healthcare more accessible and effective.
Third, WHO is promoting stronger cooperation among Portuguese-speaking countries. Portugal, Angola, Brazil, Mozambique and their partners are working towards a Lusophone Cooperation Roadmap on AI and Health, which is expected to be launched at the Regional Health Summit in Brazil in 2028.
Kluge stressed that the future of AI in healthcare will not be determined by algorithms alone, but by the regulatory frameworks, partnerships and political commitment developed today to ensure that the technology benefits all communities, rather than only countries and groups with the resources to shape it.
As the use of AI in diagnostics and healthcare continues to expand, WHO says developing legal, ethical and training frameworks alongside technological deployment will be essential to ensuring that AI is used safely and equitably across the health sector.
