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WHO Urges Europe to Catch Up on AI Governance as Only 8% Have Health-Specific Strategies
On 15 July 2026, Dr Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for Europe, opened a high‑level conference in Lisbon with a startling statistic: just 8 % of the 53 member states in the WHO European Region have a health‑specific artificial‑intelligence (AI) strategy.
Kluge’s opening address, delivered to ministers and senior officials from 37 countries across all six WHO regions, underscored the widening gap between the rapid deployment of AI tools in health care and the scarcity of governance frameworks. The numbers come from WHO/Europe’s most comprehensive assessment of AI readiness to date, which followed an earlier snapshot of AI use in EU health care in April.
The assessment revealed that nearly two‑thirds of the region’s countries already deploy AI in diagnostics and that half have introduced AI‑powered patient chatbots. Yet only one in twelve have a strategy to govern the use of AI. The report also notes that fewer than 50 % of countries have evaluated whether their legal frameworks are fit for purpose, and almost 40 % have no ethical guidance on AI in health at all.
Kluge highlighted the practical risks of this imbalance. He warned that a biased algorithm can produce a wrong diagnosis, and that health workers trained to trust an AI system they cannot interrogate are not empowered, leading to mistakes outside their control. The director emphasized that the problem is not the technology itself but the governance failure that leaves clinicians without a clear framework for accountability.
He cited the example of Coimbra, where AI‑powered image analysis helps clinicians identify thoracic diseases and bone fractures more quickly, reducing waiting times in primary care and emergency settings. According to the WHO, 98 % of member states identify improving patient care as the primary driver for adopting AI.
The conference, co‑hosted by the Portuguese government and opened by health minister Ana Paula Martins, runs until 16 July. It is organized around three pillars: rules governing how AI is regulated and held accountable, the tools needed to deploy it safely, and the people expected to use it. The event brings together ministers, senior officials, and experts to discuss how to close the governance gap.
Kluge’s speech called for three actions. First, governance must keep pace with deployment. Every country deploying AI in health needs a strategy, liability standards, and workforce training. Second, international coordination is required, which is why WHO has convened 37 countries from all WHO regions in Lisbon. Third, a specific role for the Portuguese‑speaking world was outlined. Portugal, Angola, Brazil, Mozambique, and their partners will work toward a Lusophone Cooperation Roadmap on AI and Health, which WHO aims to launch at the Regional Health Summit in Brazil in 2028.
The EU has already established testing facilities for medical imaging and robotic rehabilitation, among other areas. Kluge noted that the gap he described is between these technical capabilities and the 53 health ministries that have yet to formalize governance.
The WHO’s statement, titled “Govern AI in health before the gaps become irreversible,” reiterates the director’s message that the future of AI in health will not be decided by algorithms alone but by the frameworks built now, the partnerships forged, and the political will to ensure the technology serves all patients.
As the conference continues, participants are expected to discuss the development of national AI strategies, the creation of ethical guidance, and the establishment of liability frameworks. The WHO also plans to release further guidance on AI governance and to monitor progress in the region.
The current situation remains that while AI tools are increasingly used across Europe, the majority of countries lack formal governance structures. Upcoming actions include the launch of the Lusophone roadmap in 2028, the release of WHO guidance on AI ethics and liability, and ongoing monitoring of national strategy development. The conference in Lisbon marks a key step toward aligning AI deployment with robust governance in the European health sector.
Kluge’s opening address, delivered to ministers and senior officials from 37 countries across all six WHO regions, underscored the widening gap between the rapid deployment of AI tools in health care and the scarcity of governance frameworks. The numbers come from WHO/Europe’s most comprehensive assessment of AI readiness to date, which followed an earlier snapshot of AI use in EU health care in April.
The assessment revealed that nearly two‑thirds of the region’s countries already deploy AI in diagnostics and that half have introduced AI‑powered patient chatbots. Yet only one in twelve have a strategy to govern the use of AI. The report also notes that fewer than 50 % of countries have evaluated whether their legal frameworks are fit for purpose, and almost 40 % have no ethical guidance on AI in health at all.
Kluge highlighted the practical risks of this imbalance. He warned that a biased algorithm can produce a wrong diagnosis, and that health workers trained to trust an AI system they cannot interrogate are not empowered, leading to mistakes outside their control. The director emphasized that the problem is not the technology itself but the governance failure that leaves clinicians without a clear framework for accountability.
He cited the example of Coimbra, where AI‑powered image analysis helps clinicians identify thoracic diseases and bone fractures more quickly, reducing waiting times in primary care and emergency settings. According to the WHO, 98 % of member states identify improving patient care as the primary driver for adopting AI.
The conference, co‑hosted by the Portuguese government and opened by health minister Ana Paula Martins, runs until 16 July. It is organized around three pillars: rules governing how AI is regulated and held accountable, the tools needed to deploy it safely, and the people expected to use it. The event brings together ministers, senior officials, and experts to discuss how to close the governance gap.
Kluge’s speech called for three actions. First, governance must keep pace with deployment. Every country deploying AI in health needs a strategy, liability standards, and workforce training. Second, international coordination is required, which is why WHO has convened 37 countries from all WHO regions in Lisbon. Third, a specific role for the Portuguese‑speaking world was outlined. Portugal, Angola, Brazil, Mozambique, and their partners will work toward a Lusophone Cooperation Roadmap on AI and Health, which WHO aims to launch at the Regional Health Summit in Brazil in 2028.
The EU has already established testing facilities for medical imaging and robotic rehabilitation, among other areas. Kluge noted that the gap he described is between these technical capabilities and the 53 health ministries that have yet to formalize governance.
The WHO’s statement, titled “Govern AI in health before the gaps become irreversible,” reiterates the director’s message that the future of AI in health will not be decided by algorithms alone but by the frameworks built now, the partnerships forged, and the political will to ensure the technology serves all patients.
As the conference continues, participants are expected to discuss the development of national AI strategies, the creation of ethical guidance, and the establishment of liability frameworks. The WHO also plans to release further guidance on AI governance and to monitor progress in the region.
The current situation remains that while AI tools are increasingly used across Europe, the majority of countries lack formal governance structures. Upcoming actions include the launch of the Lusophone roadmap in 2028, the release of WHO guidance on AI ethics and liability, and ongoing monitoring of national strategy development. The conference in Lisbon marks a key step toward aligning AI deployment with robust governance in the European health sector.
