WHO Hub Speaker Series: Complexity of Pandemics N°5 – Embracing Open Source Solutions for Health Emergencies

Complexity of Pandemics N°5 – Embracing Open Source Solutions for Health Emergencies
13 June 2023, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm (CEST)
The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence , Prinzessinnenstraße 17/18, 10969 Berlin

Speakers: 
Dr Yaw Anokwa – Computer Scientist, Open Source Specialist, Founder and CEO of Open Data Kit
Dr Hajer Letaief – Deputy Director of the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit at the National Observatory of New and Emerging Diseases, Ministry of Health Tunisia

With contributions from: 
Dr Chikwe Iheweazu – WHO Assistant Director-General for the Division of Health Emergency Intelligence and Surveillance Systems
Samuel Mbuthia – Lead of the Open Source Programme Office of the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence
& Surveillance Outbreak Response Management & Analysis System (SORMAS) Foundation

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In this fifth instalment of the Speaker Series, we will discuss the relevance of Open Source approaches towards digital solutions for health emergency preparedness and response. How can the application of Open Source principles improve public health technologies? What are the challenges and opportunities in “Open Sourcing” digital solutions across the globe? How can communities of Open Source contributors be forged to jointly innovate technologies? How can we ensure the sustainability of Open Source technologies in the space? Dr Yaw Anokwa, Computer Scientist and CEO of Open Data Kit (ODK), will speak about his journey building ODK as a widely adopted Open Source platform with a growing community of contributors. Dr Hejer Letaief from the National Observatory of New and Emerging Diseases of the Ministry of Health Tunisia will provide a country-level perspective on applying Open Source solutions in disease surveillance. She will speak about the digital health policy of the Ministry of Health Tunisia and the piloting phase of the Open Source Surveillance Outbreak Response Management & Analysis System (SORMAS). 

The Speaker Series event will also serve as a public launch event for the WHO Pandemic Hub’s Open Source Programme Office (OSPO). The OSPO is an initiative which supports WHO as well as stakeholders from Member States, partners and academia to collaboratively develop sustainable, innovative, and impactful Open Source solutions for pandemic and epidemic intelligence. The event will be co-hosted by the Charité Center for Global Health.