2026 World Bio Summit held Wednesday and Thursday at COEX Magok in Seoul
Theme: 'Spreading biohealth innovation driven by AI'
Ministry of Health and Welfare and WHO jointly issue 'Seoul Declaration on AI in Healthcare'
The international community is moving to harness AI to tackle the most pressing challenges in healthcare and ensure that the benefits of innovation are shared equitably across the globe.
Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong and World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus jointly issued the "Seoul Declaration on AI in Healthcare" at the 2026 World Bio Summit, which opened Wednesday at COEX Magok in Seoul for a two-day run.
The declaration calls for the benefits of AI innovation to reach everyone, and commits the international community to the safe and responsible use of AI and to strengthening global solidarity.
It affirms that AI innovation is having a profound impact on healthcare systems worldwide, positions South Korea as a leader in the discourse on medical AI, and sets out the international community's principle that AI innovation must be actively deployed to address healthcare's most intractable problems.
International Hospital Federation President Henry Gallardo also voiced support for the declaration, urging the international community to translate its principles into concrete action and solidarity, and calling for those principles to take root in clinical practice and healthcare settings around the world.
The World Bio Summit has been co-hosted annually by the South Korean government and the WHO since 2022, built on a shared recognition of the need for international cooperation to respond to infectious disease crises and strengthen global health security.
In her opening remarks, Minister Jeong said the international community must work together, guided by the spirit of AI-based universal healthcare, "so that the fruits of AI innovation are not monopolized by any particular country or class, but can be enjoyed by everyone on earth, transcending geographic and socioeconomic barriers."
WHO Director-General Tedros said in his opening address that "healthcare innovation holds its true value only when it narrows health disparities between nations and guarantees equitable access," adding that the WHO "will continue to work in close partnership with the South Korean government to ensure that the benefits of AI innovation reach all of humanity."
Following the opening ceremony and the joint declaration, the keynote session "Leaders' Dialogue" took up the theme "From Declaration to Action: Responsible and Inclusive Healthcare AI," with discussions covering the foundations of medical AI innovation, the responsible use of medical AI, and global cooperation for sustainable AI.
Three breakout sessions held over the two days address the themes "New Science: The Future AI Will Bring," "New Value: New Value AI Will Create," and "New Finance: Investment and Global Partnerships to Support AI."
Eight side events bring together major domestic and international organizations — including the Cross-Ministry Integrated Healthcare Association, GC Biopharma Medical Foundation and the Korea In Vitro Diagnostics Association; the KDCA and CEPI; the Gates Foundation; the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Health Industry Overseas Expansion Division and Brunei's Ministry of Health; the Korea Health Industry Development Institute and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service; the Asian Development Bank and the Raith Foundation; the development institute and Unitaid; and the International Vaccine Institute — to discuss topics ranging from expanding access to diagnostic devices, pandemic preparedness, building health public goods for low- and middle-income countries, smart hospitals, ESG management in healthcare institutions, the global spread of health AI, and vaccination policy.
Minister Jeong said the "Seoul Declaration on AI in Healthcare," jointly issued with the WHO at the summit, is "a historic pledge to put human life and dignity first, to realize AI-based universal healthcare, and to stand in solidarity with the international community," adding that the Ministry of Health and Welfare "will continue to lead responsible AI innovation so that the benefits of AI development can be shared by all."
thlee@heraldcorp.com
