Are digital technologies the future in a health crisis?
Contact tracing is a fundamental public health intervention and a key component of pandemic response. COVID-19 has seen the rapid emergence of digital contact tracing (DCT) innovations worldwide.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) Innovation and Research unit (INR) has been scanning the horizon of digital innovations to address COVID-19 and long-term health challenges in noncommunicable diseases, and institutional arrangements made in countries to govern digital health innovations.
There have been many DCT deployments in the region. Adoption has increased in some Member States while running into challenges in other Member States.
Melanie Bannister-Tyrrell will be conducting a Systematic review on digital health innovations on behalf of WHO-WPRO. Melanie will develop a background paper on the use and integration of digital technologies for infectious disease control and health emergency response.
The findings will support WHO-WPRO to strengthen preparedness and response for infectious disease outbreaks and health emergencies beyond COVID-19.
Melanie Bannister-Tyrrell a Principal Advisor at the Nossal Institute for Global Health. She is an epidemiologist with more than 10 years of transdisciplinary expertise in infectious disease prevention, control and elimination.