The use of satellite imagery is not as new and shiny as big data or AI, but it’s equally crucial, as it can be used to map individuals’ access to services and infrastructure across populations. Additionally, researchers in several countries are examining traffic and pollution data to understand how cities are being affected by quarantines and movement restrictions. And O2, another mobile network provider, is in current talks with the UK government about generating anonymous heatmaps to track citizens’ movements and disease transmission. Meanwhile, the European Commission has requested telecommunications companies, like Orange and Deutsche Telekom, to share their data to help countries track the virus’ patterns and mobility. ![]() ![]() For example, Taiwan has used national health insurance data, combined with immigration and customs data, to track citizens’ travel histories and possible COVID-19 symptoms. Thanks to emerging technologies, they are able to do this in a timelier, more reliable way.ĭuring the current pandemic, there are multiple examples of big data and artificial intelligence being used to inform planning and decisions. By partnering with the private sector and other data innovators, such as universities and NGOs, governments are finding new ways to understand where and how people live, to assess their health and well-being, and to evaluate their needs, demands and access to services. To address this growing need, many governments are turning towards innovation aimed at generating and analyzing big data. Building high-functioning data systems is like putting foundations under a house: Without it, the walls are bound to come down. Data is a crucial part of making informed, timely decisions. Now more than ever, it is clear that data should not be an afterthought, and it is not just about monitoring and evaluation. The solution to all this is investment in modern and robust data systems that can produce real-time data. Additionally, with more disaggregated population data, we could target interventions at vulnerable, elderly and high-risk populations. With more timely, accurate health system reporting we could be sending urgent supplies, drugs, ventilators and PPE rapidly to the right areas. Even in supposedly “developed” countries, we’re struggling to record vital pieces of health information, and even when we are, we’re all using different definitions. ![]() ![]() If there is one thing this pandemic has exposed, it is the acute weakness of the world’s data systems. In addition, we need to know in real-time who lacks access to a health clinic or other basic services, and which clinics don’t have personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators or beds – as well as where the most vulnerable people live, their age, gender and other crucial demographic information. There’s a critical need for real-time reported data from hospitals, health clinics and outreach facilities, based not only on testing, but on symptoms and other key determinants. Yet the data being reported are primarily coming from national governments, which are – for the most part – basing it on who has been tested, which likely reveals only a fraction of the scale of the pandemic. It is estimated that approximately 2 million people around the world have been infected by the coronavirus, and the numbers continue to grow. Learn more about NextBillion’s 2020 series here. Editor’s note: This article is part of NextBillion’s series “ Enterprise in the Time of Coronavirus” and “ Big Data: Big Risks, Big Opportunities.” For news updates and analysis, virtual events, and links to useful resources related to the COVID-19 crisis, check out our coronavirus resource page.
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