New Delhi, February 17 India is among the first countries to adopt a national AI strategy for healthcare, setting an important global benchmark, a top World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Tuesday.
Addressing the India AI Impact Summit 2026 here, Dr. Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge of WHO's South-East Asia regional office, commended India's leadership in digital health innovation.
She noted that the strategy has been designed to strengthen healthcare delivery, improve decision-making, and extend the reach of services to underserved populations.
She emphasized that the approach reflects a simple but powerful principle - innovation must strengthen systems, expand access, and build trust.
Highlighting the importance of collaboration, Boehme observed that India's whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach ensures that SAHI reflects the realities of implementation on the ground, thereby enhancing its effectiveness and sustainability.