ISLAMABAD: Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) has announced the launch of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based digital health hub and an AI-powered health chatbot, Sehat Dost.

The announcement was made during an international conference, “Disease Has No Borders”.

The event, chaired by SZABMU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Tanwir Khaliq, brought together leading international health experts, academics, and policymakers to discuss digital health innovations and strategies for strengthening Pakistan’s preparedness under the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) and the World Health Organisation’s International Health Regulations (IHR).

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Khaliq said the proposed AI digital health hub would serve as a platform for medical researchers and students, while also advancing global health security initiatives.

He added that Sehat Dost was being developed to reduce outpatient burden and provide reliable health information. It will begin at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and Polyclinic before expanding nationwide in consultation with the Ministry of National Health Services.

Assistant Professor and Director Quality Enhancement Cell, SZABMU, Dr Syeda Kiran Riaz, informed the audience regarding the ongoing and completed research projects in AI for digital health transformation and international clinical trial studies.

The conference was attended by HEC Director General Ayesha Ikram; Unesco Director of Regional Science Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, Shahbaz Khan; Dr Baseer Achakzai, public health expert; and others.

Dr Baseer Achakzai called for greater collaboration with Iran, Turkey, China, and Pakistani doctors abroad, especially the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA), to strengthen student exchange and research funding.

Shahbaz Khan highlighted Unesco’s priorities in open science, ethics in artificial intelligence, and ethics of neuroscience, stressing the need for policy and societal frameworks to match scientific progress.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2025