WHO SEARO and University of Colombo Sign Agreement to Scale AI-Enabled Precision Medicine Across South-East Asia
核心洞察
WHO and the University of Colombo signed a Project Collaboration Agreement to build regional leadership and capacity for AI-enabled precision medicine across the WHO South-East Asia Region.
The agreement was exchanged at the 79th session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Dili, Timor Leste on September 9.
The collaboration targets workforce readiness, governance frameworks, and practical implementation knowledge for low- and middle-income countries, with integration into primary healthcare toward universal health coverage.
The World Health Organization and the University of Colombo have signed a Project Collaboration Agreement to strengthen regional leadership and capacity development for AI-enabled precision medicine across the WHO South-East Asia Region (SEAR), as Member States increasingly explore digital technologies, artificial intelligence and genomics as part of broader health system transformation.
The agreement was exchanged at the 79th session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Dili, Timor Leste on September 9.
From Technology Acquisition to System Readiness
According to the partners, the challenge facing countries in the region is no longer one of acquiring new technologies. Health systems also need trained professionals, capable institutions, appropriate governance arrangements and practical models for translating innovation into better and more equitable healthcare.
The collaboration seeks to address these needs by supporting Member States to build workforce readiness, strengthen governance and policy frameworks, develop practical implementation knowledge relevant to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and integrate AI-enabled precision medicine into primary healthcare in ways that contribute to Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Four Core Technical Functions
WHO SEARO and the University of Colombo will work across four major areas.
Competency development and leadership training encompasses the development of regional competency frameworks, executive leadership programmes, fellowship and mentorship programmes, and workforce training for clinicians, educators, researchers and policymakers.
AI governance and readiness support covers baseline and follow-up readiness assessments, governance and ethics frameworks, policy consultations, and support for genomic data governance.
AI-enabled precision medicine for primary healthcare and UHC includes implementation models for non-communicable diseases (搜索), pharmacogenomics integration, risk stratification models, preventive care pathways, and maternal and child health applications.
Knowledge translation and policy support comprises technical guidance documents, policy briefs, case studies, and a regional implementation repository.
Institutional Track Record
The University of Colombo brings over two decades of leadership in biomedical and health informatics, genomics and precision medicine to the collaboration. The university has established pioneering postgraduate training programmes in Biomedical and Health Informatics and Clinical Genetics, demonstrated leadership in digital health policy and AI governance, and contributed to regional capacity development through WHO-supported work and international partnerships in digital health, genomics and health systems innovation.
The collaboration is framed around the growing importance of artificial intelligence, genomics and precision medicine in strengthening health systems and advancing Universal Health Coverage across the region.