Recognizing the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to promote inclusivity, reduce inequalities and strengthen health systems, WHO and the Lords Education and Health Society (LEHS), through its Wadhwani AI programme, signed a Project Collaboration Agreement (PCA) to advance the responsible design, evaluation and use of AI in India's public health system. The collaboration aims to generate and share evidence and practical lessons on the use of AI in public health programmes, strengthen related capacity, and inform other Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region. It responds to the need for robust evidence on safety and effectiveness in real-world settings, appropriate governance, and the protection of equity, privacy and human rights.
Wadhwani AI is a non-profit programme of LEHS implementing AI solutions intended to reach the last mile and serve vulnerable populations. It works with Central and State governments, non-profit organisations, academic institutions and other ecosystem stakeholders to identify public health needs, develop and test AI solutions, and support their implementation within government programmes. Its approach to resource-efficient AI, described as “Small AI”, includes reducing computational requirements and server and network dependencies, including through offline models where feasible and appropriate, to support use in resource-constrained settings.
The objectives of the collaboration between WHO SEARO and LEHS, through Wadhwani AI, are to:
- Generate evidence on AI in public health programmes through technical briefs, case studies and evaluation reports documenting lessons on the design, validation and deployment of AI, including its operational feasibility, safety, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and user adoption.
- Document pathways for integration into public health systems by identifying the enablers of and barriers to institutional adoption, workflow integration and the integration of AI into government digital health platforms, where requested by the responsible government authorities.
- Document implementation lessons across the AI lifecycle, drawing on experience in diagnostics and screening, risk stratification, and disease tracking and modelling, from problem identification and solution design through data collection, model development, validation, deployment, monitoring and evaluation.
- Strengthen capacity and knowledge sharing through capacity-building materials and knowledge assets for public health programme managers and the health workforce, making evidence and practical lessons available to India and other Member States of the Region.
This collaboration builds on WHO SEARO's work to support Member States in strengthening digital health systems and adopting AI responsibly. By documenting evidence and implementation lessons in a solution-agnostic manner, the collaboration aims to support informed public health decision-making in India and contribute practical knowledge for other Member States of the Region. The Agreement is valid for an initial period of two years, commencing 1 November 2026 and ending 31 October 2028.