Catalonia shares its AI in Health model in a global session organised by the OECD and PATH

The Salut/IA Programme took part this week in the second session of the international seminar series on artificial intelligence in health, AI and Public Health: Expert Dialogues on Strategy, Governance, and Ecosystem Transformation, organised by the OECD and PATH, an international body that brings together innovation professionals to promote equitable access to health at a global level.

The session featuring Catalonia, titled From Use Case to Scale Culture: Embedding AI in Public Sector Practice, brought together experts from around the world to discuss how to scale successful pilot projects and promote the sustainable, systemic adoption of artificial intelligence in public health systems. Other topics discussed included the institutionalisation of AI within public administrations, overcoming bureaucratic and cultural barriers, and building a long-term culture of scalability.

Representing Catalonia, Susana Aussó, Secretary of the Salut/IA Programme, shared the programme’s experience as an example of a structured, systemic and sustainable approach. Her presentation highlighted the governance model, the collaboration among relevant bodies and authorities, and the promotion of technological development grounded in ethical and legal standards required for data-driven solutions. These are key elements to ensure real and shared impact within the health system.

The panel also included David Hansen, CEO of the Australian e-Health Research Centre (CSIRO); Scott Hayden Mahoney, Senior Program Officer for AI in Health at the Gates Foundation; Enya Séguin, strategic consultant at Delft Imaging; Victor S. Lubuku, digital specialist at PATH (Democratic Republic of the Congo); and Susana Aussó, Secretary of the Salut/IA Programme of the Government of Catalonia. The session was moderated by Resham Sethi from PATH and chaired by Eric Sutherland, Strategic Advisor for Digital Health at the OECD.

Image of the speakers connected to the session, from top to bottom: Victor Lubuku, Susanna Aussó, Resham Sethi, David Hansen, Scott Mahoney, Enya Séguin and Eric Sutherland.

This series of sessions stands out for its potential to share knowledge and lessons learned beyond national borders, connect global experts and foster future collaborations and networking. In Aussó’s words: “These kinds of exchanges strengthen Catalonia’s role as an active player in the global debate on AI in health and help consolidate shared models and alliances for responsible, scalable deployment.”