Qatar and the UK eye stronger health cooperation

Key areas include antimicrobial resistance and AI in healthcare.

The Ministry of Public Health of Qatar and the United Kingdom’s (UK) Department of Health and Social Care convened in joint working group meeting via video conference to deepen collaboration in healthcare.

Key areas include antimicrobial resistance, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and data in healthcare, the resilience of medical supply chains, and efforts to improve patient safety and care quality.

The meeting included a review of Qatar’s national priorities on antimicrobial resistance, including its national programme to combat it, pharmaceutical security measures, and a strategy for ensuring the availability of antibiotics.

The meeting also discussed digital transformation efforts, including the Qatar Health Information Exchange Platform, workforce development, private sector collaboration, and digital health and AI outsourcing

Meanwhile, the UK side discussed the integration of AI in healthcare, covering ethical considerations, regulatory frameworks, and its ten-year plan to transition from paper-based to fully digital systems.