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South Korea and Indonesia will pilot AI-based teleconsultation services as part of a bilateral partnership aimed at advancing cooperation on AI-driven primary healthcare in the Asia-Pacific.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare of South Korea signed a memorandum of understanding with the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture of Indonesia to collaborate on "AI-based primary healthcare and human development."
Under the agreement, both sides identified AI-based primary healthcare as a priority area to improve access to services. It covers:
- AI-based public health for achieving universal health coverage;
- promotion of digital wellness in the AI era;
- AI-driven preventive maternal and child healthcare;
- expanding access to community-based mental health services using AI; and
- strengthening public health resilience through AI and digital health capacity-building.
In a media statement, Korean Health Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong said such efforts aim to "reduce disparities in healthcare access across regions and socioeconomic groups and ensure universal health rights."
It was also announced that the MOHW and the Presidential National AI Strategy Committee will work with Indonesia to pilot AI-driven teleconsultation in underserved areas, particularly in remote island communities.
Moreover, both governments are also in discussions to develop collaboration models involving university hospitals, major IT firms, and academic institutions, with plans to expand the cooperation model to other Asia-Pacific countries, including Vietnam and Thailand.
THE LARGER CONTEXT
The MOHW said its MOU with Indonesia marks the first step in its vision of realising an APAC-wide AI-driven primary healthcare cooperation under the proposed "Global AI Universal Basic Society" framework.
In recent years, Indonesia has sought global partnerships to help with the digital transformation of its health system. Late last year, GE HealthCare was contracted to supply over 300 CT scanners to public hospitals as part of Strengthening Indonesia's Health Referral Network. In July, the Indonesian Ministry of Health signed a long-term partnership with Philips on digital health integration. The MOH also partnered with Google Cloud in 2024 to explore the application of generative AI to the national digital health platform, SATUSEHAT.
It is also expected to build a joint lab with China focusing on the safe and regulated use of digital technology, including AI in medicine.
A new digital health innovation toolkit designed for the Indonesian health system and developed with Australian researchers is being integrated into the Indonesian MOH's sandbox program.
