Digital and Intelligent Health Forum｜Faqir Mahbub Anam: Enhancing international cooperation to build digital and intelligent Health Silk Road

Faqir Mahbub Anam, minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology and minister of Science and Technology of Bangladesh, called for international cooperation to build a Silk Road of digital and intelligent health.

Anam made the remarks on July 22 at the Digital and Intelligent Health Forum, part of the 2026 World Internet Conference (WIC) Digital Silk Road Development Forum in Xi'an, Shaanxi province.

Anam said that the forum addressed the aspirations of countries like Bangladesh, where technology serves as a vital link lifeline rather than a luxury. He noted that with a population of approximately 180 million, Bangladesh is committed to digital transformation under the principle of "leaving no one behind".

Anam commended the establishment of the WIC Working Group on Digital and Intelligence Health, describing the formation of the group as a milestone that transforms dialogue into an institutional platform for continuous cooperation.

He called for enhanced knowledge and technology transfer, improved data sharing, and standard recognition, advocating for inclusiveness and innovation to empower global health development through artificial intelligence.

Anam stressed the need for the international community to work together to ensure developing countries have access to technology transfer, capacity building, and data sovereignty, alongside equitable technology access channels.

"Technology must serve humanity, with AI in healthcare reflecting not only technical excellence but also humanistic values," he said.

Anam expressed Bangladesh's desire to participate in international digital health cooperation to extend digital health benefits to more countries and regions.