According to the joint report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union, 74% of countries in the bloc use AI tools for medical imaging, disease detection and to assist in clinical decision-making.
The study also found that 63% of EU countries offer a chatbot service for patients, as part of health systems’ efforts to use AI safely, fairly and responsibly, the UN agency said.
Legal and ethical responsibilities
As AI technology becomes more deeply integrated into clinical settings, WHO has highlighted how important it is that healthcare professionals have the skills and knowledge to use these technologies safely and effectively to maintain high standards of patient care.
This development comes as the EU prepares to implement the world’s first legal framework specifically regulating AI. The WHO-backed report highlights the need for broader consultation with patients and the public “to build trust” in AI.
However, without significant public input, the UN agency warns that AI-based systems “may face resistance or rejection,” which could worsen the care received.
UN welcomes humanitarian access agreement in DRC
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) has welcomed a new agreement aimed at easing the flow of aid to conflict-affected regions.
Following talks in Montreux, Switzerland, the Congolese government and the AFC/M23, two major armed groups operating in the east of the country, signed a protocol on humanitarian access and judicial protection.
MONUSCO described the signing as “an important step towards rapid, safe, sustainable and unhindered humanitarian access”.
A “huge burden” for civilians
This is essential to ensure that life-saving aid reaches civilians who continue to bear an “enormous burden” due to ongoing violence.
MONUSCO spokesperson Ndeye Khady Lo said PK Press Club that it was important that all combatants “continue their commitment for the benefit of the civilian populations of eastern DRC”.
A separate memorandum was also signed to operationalize the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus, a measure intended to strengthen monitoring on the ground. However, MONUSCO warned that for these mechanisms to remain “credible, secure and effective”, specific security conditions must be maintained.
UN experts warn of torture, deaths in Belarusian penal colony
Independent UN human rights experts on Monday expressed serious concerns over reports of torture, suicide attempts and deaths in the Navapolatsk penal colony in Belarus.
Experts highlighted the case of journalist and blogger Ihar Losik, who was allegedly kept in prolonged solitary confinement and deprived of any contact with his family or lawyer.
According to experts appointed by the Human Rights Council, Mr. Losik attempted suicide twice in detention; however, instead of receiving medical treatment, he was allegedly placed in disciplinary segregation.
“Punishing prisoners for suicide attempts rather than ensuring urgent psychological and medical care is deeply worrying,” the experts said.
Serious concerns
They warned that such practices, if confirmed, “could amount to torture and ill-treatment and, in certain circumstances, could lead to enforced disappearance.”
The alert also details the death in 2023 of an elderly inmate who was allegedly placed in punitive solitary confinement without adequate health care. Experts stressed that deaths in custody amid allegations of denial of care raise “the most serious concerns under international law.”
The experts calling for an urgent investigation are not UN staff and do not receive salaries for their work. They urged Belarusian authorities to ensure humane conditions and protect detainees from reprisals.
Children bear the heaviest burden of Ukraine’s war
As the war enters its fifth year, “Ukrainian children continue to bear the heaviest burden of this war,” said Vanessa Frazier, the top U.N. official charged with defending children caught up in the armed conflict.
Concluding a five-day mission to Ukraine, where she sought to strengthen protections for war-affected children, Special Representative Frazier warned of continued attacks killing and injuring children, adding that “their most basic rights are violated daily.”
Beyond the killings and mutilations, attacks on civilian infrastructure have also devastated schools, hospitals, water and heating systems, affecting access to essential services on which children depend for their well-being and development.
Empowerment for Peace
“I heard children speak directly about their right to education, their desire for peace and to live their childhood without fear,” she said.
Through the Prove it matters “, which aims to inspire children to advocate for themselves, the UN also “provides a platform for the voices of Ukrainian children and others affected by the conflict to be heard by decision-makers around the world,” Frazier said.
In Ukraine, children from some 1,800 schools wrote more than 6,500 peace messages on origami doves as part of this global initiative.
