At the recent 16th BRICS Health Ministers' meeting, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava highlighted the integral role of digital health and AI in fostering universal health coverage among member nations.
The BRICS nations are increasingly focusing on health cooperation as a foundational element of their partnership, emphasizing mutual learning and shared innovation. Srivastava pointed out that ensuring continuity of care is a significant challenge, necessitating interconnected healthcare experiences across various providers and regions. The integration of digital health and AI is seen as essential for enhancing people-centered healthcare delivery within these countries.
During her keynote address, Srivastava underscored that no nation can independently advance AI-enabled healthcare, as they face common issues like diverse populations and healthcare workforce strains. The discussions at the meeting were informed by the BRICS Health Track Technical Working Group's findings, which stress the need for interoperable digital health systems to facilitate the smooth exchange of health information throughout the patient care journey.
India's advancements in digital health, including the issuance of over 940 million Ayushman Bharat Health Account IDs, were highlighted as a model for other BRICS nations. The country is also implementing a Strategic Framework for AI in Healthcare to ensure ethical and responsible AI adoption in healthcare delivery. This collective commitment among BRICS countries aims to build resilient and equitable health systems ready for future challenges.