China hosts WHA side event to promote digital intelligence for health care

China

China hosts WHA side event to promote digital intelligence for health care

2025-05-20 16:56 Last Updated At：17:57

China co-hosted a side event on Monday with Ethiopia, Peru, Tanzania, and Thailand during the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, focusing on promoting digital intelligence applications for primary health care.

Titled "Empowering Primary Health Care with Digital Intelligence for Universal Health Coverage," the event discussed how digital and intelligent technologies can enhance the accessibility and equity of health services.

During the event, the Chinese delegation highlighted that China places great importance on public health and has adopted a health-first strategy. The country is actively advancing the Healthy China initiative and promoting the wide application of mobile internet, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI) in the health sector.

As of 2024, China's average life expectancy had reached 79 years. Basic public health services have covered the entire population, over 90 percent of urban and rural residents can access medical facilities within 15 minutes, and basic medical insurance coverage remains stable at over 95 percent.

New technologies such as AI in health care are improving diagnostic and treatment capabilities of primary health care services. The establishment of regional diagnostic centers and telemedicine mechanisms is helping deliver more efficient and accessible services to patients. However, the development of such technologies also presents challenges such as privacy protection, which calls for strengthened global cooperation and the establishment of a shared framework, emphasized the Chinese delegation.

China proposed four key initiatives during the event, namely, promoting the broad application of digital intelligence, improving policy support systems, enhancing international cooperation and exchange, and strengthening security governance and standards development. China also called for all countries to develop digital health technologies as international public goods that benefit all humankind.

EU, Finnish officials express concerns over US remarks on Greenland

Officials from the European Union (EU) and Finland have voiced concerns after the White House said it has been discussing "a range of options" to acquire Greenland, including the use of the military.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told a press briefing in Cairo on Thursday that the message from the U.S. is "extremely concerning," and "not really helping the stability of the world."

Kallas called on all parties to stick to international law, adding that relevant response measures has been discussed among EU members.

"The international law is very clear, and we have to stick to it. It is clear that it is the only thing that protects smaller countries, and that is why it is in the interest of all of us. And we discussed this today, as well, that we uphold the international law on all levels," she said.

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen on Thursday described recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his administration on Greenland as "worrying," while reiterating Finland's support for Denmark and Greenland's right to self-determination.

"Finland and the other Nordic countries have exceptional expertise in Arctic conditions, and we are happy to make use of that together with our North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to strengthen Arctic security, but it cannot be done by threatening allies," she said at a press conference at Finnish parliament after an extraordinary meeting of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee.

Johannes Koskinen, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said it was "unprecedented" for threats of violence to be made within NATO against another member in connection with seizing territory, adding that such threats run counter to the United Nations Charter and that their inconsistency with international law should be underscored at all levels.