Reliable health data and the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence are the foundations of a new era in healthcare, said the President of the National eHealth Authority of Cyprus, Professor Constantinos Pattichis, at the opening ceremony of the EHDS-AI Connect 2026 High-Level Conference.
The two-day conference on 'Building a Trusted, Secure, and AI-Enabled European Health Data Space for a Stronger European Health Union' began in Limassol on Wednesday, 29 April, within the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The conference, Pattichis said, comes at a pivotal time for Europe. “The European Health Data Space marks a major step forward in enabling secure, interoperable, and citizen-centred health data exchange across Member States,” he said, adding that, at the same time, Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming healthcare, offering new opportunities to improve diagnosis, treatment, and system efficiency.
“Together, trusted health data and responsible AI form the foundation of a new era in healthcare—one that is more connected, more intelligent, and more responsive to the needs of citizens,” he said.
Pattichis said the National eHealth Authority of Cyprus was “honoured to contribute to this European effort.”
In this context, he added, Cyprus is actively aligned with the European Health Data Space. The national eHealth framework, established under the 2019 legislation, provides a strong foundation that is being further refined to fully meet EHDS requirements, he noted.
“We are progressing with the implementation of MyHealth@EU services, including Patient Summary and ePrescription, and we are preparing the rollout of additional services such as laboratory results, medical imaging, and hospital discharge reports,” he said.
“At the national level, we are actively progressing the development of our digital health ecosystem,” he added, noting that the National eHealth Authority is currently implementing a citizen-focused mobile health application, planned for launch in November 2026.
In parallel, he said, preparations are well advanced for the national Electronic Health Record system, “a major strategic investment of approximately €20 million,” with the call for tenders expected to be launched in the coming months.
“This initiative builds on the work of the Xt-EHR Joint Action, positioning Cyprus among the first countries in Europe to translate EHDS outcomes into national implementation,” Pattichis said.
At the same time, he noted,”we are enhancing our national infrastructure to support both primary and secondary use of health data, including future participation in HealthData@EU in 2027.”
Cyprus is also proud to coordinate Xt-EHR, a major European Joint Action bringing together 27 Member States and Norway to develop the common specifications and interoperability framework underpinning the European Health Data Space, he added. Pattichis added that the outcomes of this Joint Action are being formally delivered to the European Commission this week, “contributing directly to the next phase of EHDS implementation.” Through this leadership role, Cyprus is actively shaping the technical foundations of a trusted and interoperable European health data ecosystem, he pointed out.
Pattichis said the conference has been carefully designed to support this shared European vision, noting that the programme includes 10 sessions, bringing together 70 Chairs and panellists from 18 Member States, welcoming approximately 180 participants attending in person, with more than 500 joining online.
(Source: CNA)
