BRICS Puts Digital Health and Responsible AI at Centre of Care

Source: Devdiscourse | Original Published At: 2026-07-24 14:00:14 UTC

Key Points

• BRICS health leaders called for stronger digital health systems to support continuity of care from prevention and diagnosis through treatment, recovery and long-term follow-up.
• The discussion took place at a side event organised by India's National Health Authority during the 16th BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting.
• Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said continuity of care should be the real test of whether digital health and AI are improving people's lives.
• India highlighted progress under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, including more than 940 million ABHA health IDs and over one billion linked digital health records.
• The BRICS Technical Working Group-4 Compendium identified fragmented health information systems, limited interoperability and weak data governance as common challenges.
• Brazil and Indonesia shared practical progress, including Brazil's National Health Data Network and Indonesia's SATUSEHAT digital platform.
• Delegates stressed that responsible scaling of AI requires high-quality data, cybersecurity, trained health workers, sustainable funding and locally validated clinical evidence.