Amid the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, leading scientists, academics, and government officials convened in Karachi to stress the urgent need for the Muslim world to invest in education, science, and technology—highlighting Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health sciences as a game-changing frontier.
Speaking at the two-day hybrid workshop titled “Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Health Sciences,” experts underlined how AI can reduce human error in healthcare and enhance decision-making, thereby transforming patient care across the Muslim world.
The event, held at the Latif Ebrahim Jamal (LEJ) National Information Center at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, was jointly organized by the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Health Sciences, OIC-COMSTECH, and the Sindh Innovation, Research, and Education Network (SIREN).
Sindh Health Secretary Rehan Iqbal Baloch announced that the provincial government is actively exploring AI-based solutions for healthcare. “AI is the future of health sciences,” he stated, pledging full governmental support for AI initiatives at the ICCBS.
Prof Dr Atta-ur Rahman, former federal minister for science and technology, noted that the global AI healthcare market is projected to surpass USD 100 billion by 2030, underscoring the rapid evolution of AI technologies in medicine.
Director ICCBS, Prof Dr Muhammad Raza Shah, linked the urgency of scientific advancement to current geopolitical tensions. “The Iran-Israel war is a wake-up call. Without science and innovation, the Muslim Ummah remains vulnerable,” he remarked. He also lauded the ICCBS for producing world-class research that contributes on both national and global scales.
Prof Dr M Iqbal Choudhary, in a video address, highlighted how AI can address Pakistan’s persistent healthcare challenges, including access, efficiency, and affordability.
The workshop’s coordinator, Dr Reaz Uddin, presented an overview of the Center’s accomplishments in integrating AI with health sciences.
Renowned international experts also contributed to the session, including Prof. Arif Mashkoor (Austria), Dr Murtaza Najabat Ali (USA), Dr Yasar Ayaz (NUST), Prof. Dr Rabie A. Ramadan (Oman), and Dr Sadiq Ali Khan (UBIT, Karachi), sharing global perspectives on AI’s expanding role in medicine.
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The workshop served as a call to action for policymakers and institutions across the Muslim world to prioritize scientific innovation as a cornerstone of development and resilience.