Health ministry and WHO issue Seoul declaration on equitable AI in healthcare

The health ministry and the World Health Organization jointly issued a declaration on Wednesday calling for the benefits of artificial intelligence in healthcare to reach all people, at the opening of the 2026 World Bio Summit in Seoul.

Minister of Health and Welfare Chung Eun-kyung and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus presented the AI Healthcare Seoul Declaration together at the Coex Magok Convention Center. It is the first time a Korean health minister and the WHO director-general have jointly issued a declaration on AI use, according to the ministry.

The declaration calls for ethical and responsible use of AI that protects human safety and dignity and widens equity in access to care. It also asks governments to expand joint research on AI-driven health industry innovation, strengthen the foundations for data use and ensure benefits are shared fairly, and to prioritize unmet medical needs when investing in research and infrastructure.

It also addresses accountability and risk management, including supervision proportionate to the purpose and risk level of each AI application over its lifecycle and efforts to build the capacity of medical staff to use AI. On global cooperation and health security, it calls for AI-based early detection of public health crises, stronger cybersecurity and biosecurity, and closer partnerships among governments, the medical sector, AI developers, WHO collaborating centers and civil society. Implementation is to respect national laws and country contexts.

The WHO chief's visit is his first to Korea since taking office, and the first by a WHO director-general in 11 years, since Margaret Chan attended a nurses' conference in 2015. Chung and Tedros stressed in their opening remarks that AI innovation should not be confined to certain countries or groups, with Tedros saying health innovation holds its value when it narrows gaps between countries and guarantees equitable access.

"The AI Healthcare Seoul Declaration, issued jointly with the WHO at this World Bio Summit, is a historic promise to put human life and dignity first, realize 'basic AI healthcare' and stand in solidarity with the international community," Chung said. "The Ministry of Health and Welfare will continue to lead responsible AI innovation so that the benefits of AI development can be shared by all."

Henry Gallardo, president of the International Hospital Federation, endorsed the declaration and called for international action and solidarity, which the ministry said would help spread its principles to clinical and medical settings worldwide. The full text is to be released through a digital program book distributed to summit participants.

About 8 side events are being held alongside the summit, covering topics including wider access to diagnostic devices, pandemic preparedness, public health goods for low- and middle-income countries, smart hospitals and vaccination policy. The event is co-hosted by the Korean government and the WHO, organized by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, and held in conjunction with the 49th World Hospital Congress.

Chung is also holding bilateral meetings with her counterparts from Turkiye, Armenia, Tunisia and Qatar. Talks with Turkiye and Armenia focus on health insurance and medical AI, with Tunisia on medical AI and Korean drug exports, and with Qatar on patient referrals, training for medical personnel and digital health cooperation. Vice Health Minister Lee Hyung-hoon meets counterparts from Lithuania, Angola and Kazakhstan and senior officials from Unitaid.

At the closing session, Lee said the declaration had given the international community a chance to commit to ensuring AI benefits reach all of humanity, and that the experience and insight of leaders at the summit would help strengthen the global healthcare order.