DOH: AI tools to be used in advancing healthcare for Filipinos

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday assured that artificial intelligence (AI) tools will be properly utilized in improving the delivery of healthcare services for Filipinos.

In a statement sent to GMA News Online on Thursday, DOH Spokesperson Undersecretary Albert Domingo said AI is part of the agency’s digital health strategies.

“AI requires robust health informatics infrastructure and reliable, interconnected databases. The priority now, in preparation for AI in health, is to establish local health information exchanges beginning with the one in Aklan Province, and shortly thereafter in other priority provinces like Batangas, Benguet Laguna, and Saranggani,” he said.

“AI will not be targeted for its sake only, but as part of a systems approach to improving health services for Filipinos,” Domingo added.

The DOH official made the statement after the launching of the National AI Center for Research and Innovation (NAICRI).

The integration of AI systems in healthcare is not new in the Philippines.

In November 2025, the DOH pushed for increased tuberculosis screening through the use of AI-powered chest X-rays.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said it is also funding studies that will look into the use of AI technology in detecting how the dengue virus spreads.

Despite these advancements, the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2024 warned of the dangers and benefits posed by AI large multi-modal models (LMMs) or generative AI.

They noted that LMMs can also generate output that is not limited to the type of data fed to its algorithm, which may lead to false, inaccurate, biased or incomplete outcomes. — JMA, GMA Integrated News