The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $950,000 in regional technical assistance to support the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare across Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia.
The programme will assess AI applications in health promotion, screening, diagnosis and treatment, while developing country-specific roadmaps for AI integration. It will also assist governments in designing governance frameworks covering validation standards, data privacy safeguards, mitigation of algorithmic bias and post-market monitoring.
The initiative focuses on three core AI categories. Clinical AI will support point-of-care diagnosis and treatment using image processing and pattern recognition. Healthcare management AI will help hospitals optimise appointments, consultations, prescriptions and follow-ups, automate administrative processes, improve patient flow and reduce staff burnout. Generative AI and AI agents will enhance telemedicine, medical education and remote learning in underserved regions.
ADB noted that AI technologies such as big data analytics, deep learning, natural language processing and robotics have the potential to improve diagnostics, treatment accuracy, health system management, drug discovery and personalised medicine. Administrative tasks including record-keeping and claims management could also be streamlined through automation.
The technical assistance will include surveying available AI tools, providing technical guidance and supporting the development of domestic AI ecosystems in the three countries. This includes strengthening research capacity, facilitating technology transfer, supporting commercialisation and improving procurement processes.
ADB highlighted that geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and shifts in global health aid have constrained healthcare investment across the region. Countries continue to face infrastructure gaps, equipment shortages, uneven distribution of skilled health workers, limited training budgets, rising healthcare costs and fragmented digital health systems.
The programme aims to address these challenges by enabling structured, responsible and scalable AI adoption within national healthcare frameworks.
