Here we cover some of the key stories we have seen from around the world, spanning topics such as digital transformation, AI, cyber security, workforce skills and more.
PAHO shares guidance on AI prompts in healthcare
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has published guidance around using AI prompts to generate content for healthcare processes, as part of their wider Digital Literacy Program. According to PAHO, “public health institutions are increasingly using AI to draft alerts, translate reports into plain language, develop educational materials, and simulate responses”, which is why their new guidance aims to encourage more “responsible use of AI”.
The publication notes the benefits of using AI for these processes but also states that being able to create the most effective prompt is an “essential skill for all public health workers”. PAHO highlights the risks involved with using incorrect prompts, with errors such as omitting key information and using the wrong terminology having an impact on the content being produced. As such, the guidance suggests creating prompt libraries and treating each prompt as a “living protocol” that can be adapted to the context in which they are being used.
You can read the paper on ‘AI prompt design for public health: Using generative AI responsibly’ here.
Sudan’s Federal Ministry of Health launches three new digital health apps
UNICEF has partnered with Sudan’s Federal Ministry of Health to introduce three digital health applications focused on improving communication, access and education across healthcare services within the region, particularly for women and children.
Care Connect allows for direct messaging, group messaging and structured reporting to help strengthen communication and coordination between healthcare workers and leadership teams within the Ministry of Health. IConnect reportedly promotes digital inclusion and “removes physical barriers” by providing additional levels of access through voice, video and text consultations, while ZAMW is an app that offers interactive educational resources, including video lessons, games and quizzes designed to ensure staff are “well-equipped to respond to health needs”.
Each application will be used in over 400 health facilities and more than 3,000 health workers within Sudan, with it expected to “reach nearly 500,000 children, marking a critical step toward revitalising Sudan’s health system and restoring hope for its most vulnerable populations”.
US-based AI agent platform Hyro secures $45 million in funding
The US-based responsible AI agent platform, Hyro has received $45 million in funding, designed to help grow the company’s reach and speed up the development of “administrative, operational, and clinical AI agents designed to streamline healthcare consumer access across digital and voice channels”. Hyro’s solution is already being used in 45 different health systems, covering a population of over 30 million across the US, with plans to “expand across new specialties and segments throughout the healthcare ecosystem”.
This round of investment was led by Healthier Capital, with support from a number of other investors, including Norwest and Define Ventures and follows the recent launch of their outbound patient experience platform, Proactive Px, which went live in September.
Study suggest AI chatbots are unsuitable for mental health advice
A new study published in the JMIR Mental Health journal suggests that general-purpose chatbots are not yet suitable for people who want to “safely engage in mental health conversations, particularly in crisis situations”.
Researchers looked at how AI chatbots stack up against humans when seeking mental health advice, which led to the publication of ‘A Comparison of Responses from Human Therapists and Large Language Model-Based Chatbots to Assess Therapeutic Communication’. The study concluded: “While chatbots display elements of good therapy, such as validation and reassurance, overuse of directive advice without sufficient inquiry and use of generic interventions make them unsuitable as therapeutic agents.
Till Scholich, Maya Barr, Shannon Wiltsey Stirman, Shriti Raj. Originally published in JMIR Mental Health (https://mental.jmir.org), 21.05.2025.
Dubai Health achieves level 10 designation from Epic’s Gold Stars Program
Dubai Health’s EMR system has been awarded the highest distinction by the Epic Gold Stars Program, earning a level 10 designation for using “more than 95%” of Epic’s Gold Star features within the organisation. This puts Dubai Health in the top 3 percent of healthcare institutions across the world that are using this system and reportedly “marks a significant milestone in Dubai Health’s ongoing efforts to deliver smart, seamless, and convenient healthcare services to patients, aligned with international best practices and standards”.
Nigeria’s minister of state for health and social welfare expresses need for further investment into digital health skills
During a keynote address at the 2025 Africa Health Tech Summit, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Nigeria’s minister of state for health and social welfare, spoke about the need for “urgent and sustained investment in digital health skills across Africa” in order to maintain resilience and inclusivity throughout the continent’s healthcare systems. The minister has emphasised the need to standardise these systems to help improve interoperability, access, digital skills and digital literacy, while also encouraging collaboration between all health sectors and partners, with a focus on innovation, research and capacity.
“Our goal is not just to digitalise health delivery systems but to ensure that every health worker, from the most remote primary health centre to tertiary hospitals, is equipped to use digital tools for care delivery and policy decision-making,” the minister said. “The case for digital health skilling in Africa is no longer optional, it is practical, urgent, and transformational.”
European action plan aims to improve cyber security through EU healthcare systems
The EU has published the European action plan, designed to help improve cyber security and resilience in healthcare systems through the use of digital tools. The main aim of the action plan is to “establish a pan-European cybersecurity support centre for hospitals and healthcare providers, offering tailored guidance, tools, services, and training.” It covers four key priorities, including enhanced prevention, improved detection and identification of threats, better response to cyber attacks to minimise impact and deterrence.
As part of the plan, the EU Commission wants to gather further input through a “targeted consultation”, which they hope will help form a set of recommendations by the end of 2025.
