Legislative measures for AI oversight

Amid rapid technological change, the health sector in the WHO European Region is witnessing the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI). This transformation offers opportunities to enhance health outcomes, reduce system pressures, and improve care delivery, while also raising critical questions of ethics, governance, responsibility, and safeguards to ensure safe and trustworthy adoption. This dataset – based on the 2024–2025 Survey on AI for Health in the WHO European Region – examines how Member States are navigating this evolving field.

AI for health and health systems is a central priority under the European Programme of Work (EPW) 2.0, with a strong focus on developing a roadmap for the ethical, secure, and sustainable use of AI. These efforts align with EPW 2.0’s broader digital health agenda, which aims to improve digital health literacy to build public trust, strengthen regional coordination and multisector collaboration, and showcase AI-driven primary care innovations through case studies and peer learning.

The 2024–2025 Survey on Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare provided an important overview and critical insights which were presented in the “Artificial intelligence is reshaping health systems: state of readiness across the WHO European Region” report.

Building on the report, this dataset provides country-specific information on the AI for health landscape across 50 Member States in the WHO European Region. It covers seven key thematic areas that capture the essential dimensions of AI readiness and implementation in health systems: 1. Strategic Context, 2. Regulatory Context, 3. Health Data Governance, 4. AI Applications for Health, 5. AI Opportunities for Health, 6. AI Adoption Barriers, and 7. AI Capacity Building. Together, these seven areas encompass 75 indicators, offering a comprehensive and comparable overview of national progress in adopting, governing, and scaling AI for health across the Region.

All Member States were invited to participate in the initiative, through the nomination of national survey coordinators who incorporated input from AI for health experts. A total of 50 WHO Member States completed the survey, representing a 94% response rate.

The dataset “Artificial Intelligence in the WHO European Region 2025” provides researchers, policymakers, and health professionals with insights to track trends, evaluate AI initiatives, and support evidence-based decision-making. It guides strategic planning, resource allocation, and regional collaboration to enhance health outcomes and equity, advancing the vision of the European Programme of Work 2.0.