According to the United Nations World Health Organization (Who) In a joint report with the EU, 74% of the bloc’s countries use AI tools to aid medical imaging, disease detection and clinical decision-making.
The UN agency said the study also found that 63 percent of EU countries provide chatbot services for patients, part of an effort to ensure safe, fair and responsible use of AI by health systems.
Legal and Ethical Responsibilities
As AI technologies become more deeply embedded in clinical settings, WHO stressed how important it is that health professionals have the skills and knowledge to use these technologies safely and effectively to maintain high standards of patient care.
The development comes as the EU prepares to implement the world’s first legal framework specifically regulating AI. The WHO-backed report emphasizes the need for extensive consultation with patients and the public “to strengthen trust” in AI.
However, without meaningful public input, the UN agency warns that AI-supported systems “may face resistance or rejection”, potentially worsening the care people receive.
UN welcomes humanitarian access agreement in DR Congo
United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has welcomed a new agreement aimed at easing the flow of aid to conflict-affected areas.
Following talks in Montreux, Switzerland, the Congolese government and the AFC/M23, the 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, secure, sustained and unhindered humanitarian access”.
‘Tremendous burden’ on citizens
This is vital to ensure that life-saving assistance reaches civilians who are bearing a “tremendous burden” due to ongoing violence.
MONUSCO spokesperson Ndayi Khadi Lo said united nations news It was important for all combatants to “continue their commitment for the benefit of the civilian population in eastern DRC”.
A separate memorandum was also signed to operationalize the Enhanced Joint Verification Mechanism Plus, which aims to strengthen monitoring on the ground. However, MONUSCO cautioned that for these mechanisms to remain “reliable, secure and effective”, specific security conditions must be maintained.
UN experts warn of torture and deaths in Belarus penal colony
Independent UN human rights expert on Monday raised serious concerns On reports of torture, suicide attempts, and deaths in the Navapolatsk Correctional Colony in Belarus.
Experts highlighted the case of journalist and blogger Ihar Losik, who was reportedly held in isolation for long periods of time and denied contact with his family or legal counsel.
according to human rights council-The appointed expert, Mr Losik, attempted suicide twice in custody; However, instead of receiving medical care, he was reportedly placed in disciplinary isolation.
“Punishing detainees for suicide attempts instead of ensuring immediate psychological and medical care is extremely disturbing,” the experts said.
serious concerns
They warned that such practices, if confirmed, “could lead to torture and ill-treatment, and, in some circumstances, could lead to enforced disappearance.”
The alert also detailed the death in 2023 of an elderly detainee who was reportedly kept in punitive isolation without adequate health care. The experts stressed that deaths in custody raise “the most serious concerns under international law” amid allegations of denial of care.
The experts calling for an immediate investigation are not UN employees and do not receive pay for their work. They have urged the Belarusian authorities to further ensure humane conditions and protect prisoners from reprisals.
The biggest burden of war in Ukraine falls on children
“Children in Ukraine are bearing the heaviest burden of this war,” the war is now in its fifth year. said Top UN official advocating for children trapped in armed conflict, vanessa frazier.
Concluding a five-day mission in Ukraine, where he attempted to strengthen the protection of war-affected children, Special Representative Frazier warned against continued attacks that kill and injure children and said that “their most fundamental rights are being violated daily.”
In addition to killing and maiming, attacks on civilian infrastructure have also devastated schools, hospitals, water and heating systems, affecting access to essential services that children rely on for their well-being and development.
empowerment for peace
“I have heard directly from children who are talking about their right to education, their desire for peace and to live their childhood without fear,” he said.
Through Prove it matters CampaignMs. Frazier said, while the aim is to empower children to advocate for themselves, the UN is also “providing a platform for the voices of Ukrainian children and others affected by the conflict to be heard by decision makers at the global level.”
In Ukraine, children from about 1,800 schools have written more than 6,500 peace messages on origami pigeons as part of a global initiative.
