AI x Health 2026: Pakistan's First National Convening on AI and Health
On 16 May 2026, the National AI Hub hosted AI x Health 2026 at ³Ô¹ÏÍ·Ìõ, bringing together over 150 clinicians, AI researchers, startup founders, frontline implementers, and government health officials from all four provinces and the Federal Ministry, alongside international development partners.
The convening was organised around a single question: what will it actually take for AI to improve health outcomes for women and children in Pakistan? Opening remarks by ³Ô¹ÏÍ·Ìõ Rector Mr. Shahid Hussain and a programme overview by Dr. Maryam Mustafa, Director of the National AI Hub, set the tone for a day focused less on showcasing technology and more on understanding what the ecosystem needs to move forward.
Fifteen organisations presented active tools and pilots spanning maternal health, telemedicine, diagnostic AI, and primary care, including Awaaz-e-Sehat, Childlife Foundation, Vital Pakistan Trust, Marham, Sehat Kahani, Oladoc, CERP, SHINE Humanity Pakistan, Viamo, NUST, Aibers Health, and FINCON. A moderated panel with practitioners from PHC Global, Vital Pakistan Trust, Marham, and SPHERE Pakistan was frank about the structural barriers: fragmented health data systems, the absence of a regulatory framework for digital health, and the persistent tendency to build in silos.
Closing remarks by Vice Chancellor Dr. Ali Cheema underlined that the challenges Pakistan faces in healthcare require system-level responses, and that AI, while a genuine opportunity, is only as effective as the governance and infrastructure around it.
The outputs of this convening will directly inform the National AI Hub's programme priorities going forward.
