Published 2025-12-20
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Abstract
Immunization campaigns against diseases have continued for more than a century. Presently, 112 countries have 90% DTP3 coverage, accounting for a majority portion of 8.2 billion people. Good health and well-being for all is identified as the third goal of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with Target 3.8 specifically calling for universal access to quality health services and essential vaccines.
Several countries have indicated and planned to introduce cooperation agreements on digital healthcare in their medical ecosystems, including immunization against prevalent diseases. The introduction of digital healthcare platforms to monitor and evaluate disease outbreaks and gauge vaccine drives in a country without prior artificial intelligence and digitization experience involves several sectors of civil society, healthcare professionals, governance bodies, and international partners. Pakistan can leverage the concrete studies and applications of integrating digitization in medical science from its international partners to support implementation of SDG Goal 3.
Pakistan is a member of Gavi-eligible countries with existing relationships with multilateral partners such as the World Health Organization, World Bank, International Vaccine Institute, and United Nations Children's Fund, each of which has a strong knowledge base and digital infrastructure to integrate and benefit Pakistan. Furthermore, Pakistan's National Artificial Intelligence Policy of 2025 is a governance framework found in only a few Low-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Pakistan also holds extensive cooperation agreements with China, which has over 38,000 patents on artificial intelligence in the healthcare spectrum, accounting for 60% of the global patent pool. Pakistan has signed over 70 MoUs with China; however, only a handful of these touch on digital cooperation in healthcare. Pakistan has strong prospects to increase its horizon and seek advanced knowledge sharing with China in the healthcare and ICT sectors.
However, fragmented governance — with healthcare being a provincial subject under the 18th Amendment — weak data infrastructure without a unified national health information system, and cybersecurity gaps make international partners hesitant to share sensitive tools or platforms, creating a persistent gap between science and policy.
This paper contributes to highlighting the international partners required to pursue formal bilateral health cooperation agreements focused on digital health technology transfer. Pakistan shares strong relationships with over a dozen international partners specialised in healthcare and digital transformation; however, knowledge sharing and infrastructure building have not reached their optimum position.