LocationsHarnessing AI and digital technologies to transform health: UNDP at PMAC 2025
February 4, 2025
Mandeep Dhaliwal, Director, HIV and Health Group, UNDP moderates a panel discussion during the 2025 Prince Mahidol Awards Conference in Bangkok, Thailand.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health technologies offer transformative potential to revolutionize global health, but this must be balanced with the responsibility to ensure their safe, ethical and equitable use. This was the central focus at the 2025 Prince Mahidol Awards Conference (PMAC) held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 28 January to 2 February.
The global forum bringing together global leaders, policymakers and innovators was co-hosted by the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation, the Government of Thailand and key partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). UNDP’s active presence at this year’s PMAC showcased its commitment to advancing health equity through technology-driven, inclusive solutions. By co-organizing key side events and moderating a high-level plenary, UNDP underscored the importance of leaving no one behind in the era of digital health.
On 1 February, UNDP’s Director of HIV and Health, Mandeep Dhaliwal, moderated the high-level plenary session “Ethical Technology: For Whom, by Whom and for What Purposes.” The discussion explored the transformative potential of AI and digital technologies in building resilient, sustainable and equitable health systems. The session emphasized the importance of leveraging these innovations to enhance health outcomes, protect public health and advance universal health coverage while safeguarding the fundamental right to health for all. Speakers highlighted the risks of exacerbating inequalities, and underscored the critical need for inclusive, rights-based governance frameworks to ensure equitable access, data privacy and accountability from both public and private sector actors.
“Digital technologies and AI hold immense potential to transform health systems and health outcomes, but their true power lies in how we design and deploy them – ethically, inclusively and with a people-centered, rights-based approach,” said Mandeep Dhaliwal. “To truly harness their benefits, we must ensure that digital and AI innovations drive inclusive development, advances equity, protects human rights and ultimately improves health and well-being for all.”
In collaboration with FHI360, USAID and the Asian Development Bank, UNDP co-organized the side meeting “Scaling South-South Collaboration in Digital Health: Addressing Divides and Fostering Innovation Across Asia-Pacific” on 28 January. This session explored the pivotal role of South-South cooperation in bridging digital divides and driving the adoption of innovative health technologies across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Participants discussed actionable strategies to strengthen governance, technology readiness and capacity-building in health systems, particularly in least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states. UNDP highlighted its Digital Health for Development Hub, a platform fostering knowledge exchange and technology transfer to enhance health outcomes.
“At UNDP, we believe that digital transformation is not just about technology – it’s about people. Harnessing the power of innovation through South-South collaboration enables us to bridge health divides, strengthen systems and ensure that no one is left behind in the pursuit of universal health coverage,” said Manish Pant, Policy Specialist on Digital Health at UNDP, speaking as a panelist at the side event.
On 29 January, UNDP partnered with the Institute of Philanthropy to co-host the side meeting “Catalyzing Digital Technologies for Non-Communicable Diseases in the Global South.” The session spotlighted the growing role of digital tools, such as telemedicine and real-time monitoring, in addressing the prevention, diagnosis and management of NCDs, which contribute to over 74 percent of global deaths.
Participants discussed how equitable access to financing mechanisms could scale South-South collaboration, fostering deployment of life-saving innovations in LMICs. Specific examples of successes were shared, including SMILE (Electronic Immunization and Logistics Monitoring System) from Indonesia. Developed by the Ministry of Health with support from UNDP, SMILE has evolved to become a central pillar of Indonesia’s healthcare logistics infrastructure, covering a wide range of health commodities including for routine immunizations, HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, rabies and medical waste management. It will soon expand to include the tracking of medicines for NCDs.
In a world facing interconnected health and development challenges, PMAC 2025 highlighted the transformative power of technology, partnerships and inclusion. UNDP’s contributions underscored its dedication to driving innovation for a healthier, more inclusive and sustainable future.
Related
content
content
