{"id":120129,"date":"2020-10-30T15:02:46","date_gmt":"2020-10-30T15:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.microsoft.com\/?p=439792"},"modified":"2020-10-30T15:02:46","modified_gmt":"2020-10-30T15:02:46","slug":"who-and-microsoft-study-whether-data-can-help-speed-our-recovery-from-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2020\/10\/30\/who-and-microsoft-study-whether-data-can-help-speed-our-recovery-from-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"WHO and Microsoft study whether data can help speed our recovery from COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Addressing Covid-19 is just the starting point. Microsoft and the WHO are also collaborating on a project that could drive improved health outcomes for everyone. The World Health Data Hub, for example, will use artificial intelligence to create a global information center for disease surveillance and knowledge sharing that could help further the SDGs by providing a targeted picture of disease patterns and sharing insight into where particular health issues most need attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe problem with Covid-19 is that it has redirected so many resources in the world that there are other issues being neglected,\u201d says Spelhaug. \u201cLike tropical diseases that kill millions of people each year, and the world has taken their eye off it, because we need to focus on Covid-19, but we\u2019re very interested to make sure that, in the communities that suffer from neglected tropical diseases, which are the poorest communities in the world, we are advancing the analytics and the understanding of the patterns that are emerging in these communities, so we\u2019re focusing on that on the data platform.\u201d<\/p>\n

In low- and middle-income countries, millions of children continue to die from preventable illnesses each year<\/a>, and metrics such as stunting \u2013 impaired growth and development stemming from poor nutrition, repeated infection and inadequate social stimulation \u2013 will be included on the World Health Data Hub when it is rolled out in 2021. The goal is for the platform to be a nerve center for scientists, governments and aid organizations to help target not just Covid-19, but also treat chronic physical and mental health issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe World Health Data Hub truly has the ambition and the support to be a game changer,\u201d says Dr. Asma. \u201cWe are restless. We know we can deliver. It is our responsibility \u2013 collectively \u2013 and we know we can\u2019t do it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

[READ MORE: 4 ways sharing data is improving our world<\/a>]<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The private and public sectors are increasingly partnering on global challenges. Alongside its WHO projects, Microsoft has recently been working with the World Food Programme on creating a digital identity for those \u2013 such as refugees \u2013 who don\u2019t have the records needed to match them to the right food, medicine, support and services. It\u2019s the kind of investment that has a multiplier effect, not just for the World Food Programme, but for every global aid organization.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s in delivering food and medicine or battling disease, \u201cwe need to make sure that we\u2019re taking a problem or opportunity-oriented approach,\u201d says Spelhaug. \u201cWe\u2019re not implementing technology for technology\u2019s sake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCovid-19 is a challenge, but also an opportunity,\u201d adds Dr. Asma. \u201cWe were already trying to work out, over the past year, how we resolve the fragmentation, so that we can make data and create knowledge in a more structured, organized way [and] predict not only impending epidemics or pandemics, but also forecast where we will be in terms of scenarios, simulation, using AI and machine learning. There are so many possibilities that health has not really scratched even the surface of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

If tech can help global health concerns catch up after Covid-19, then the global ambitions for the SDGs \u2013 and our wider well-being \u2013 may yet be achievable. \u201cWhat we\u2019ve learned,\u201d says Spelhaug, \u201cis the impact we can have together when we frame the right strategic priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more on Microsoft\u2019s work with the UN, visit our UN Affairs page<\/a>. And follow @MSFTIssues<\/a> on Twitter.  <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Addressing Covid-19 is just the starting point. Microsoft and the WHO are also collaborating on a project that could drive improved health outcomes for everyone. The World Health Data Hub, for example, will use artificial intelligence to create a global information center for disease surveillance and knowledge sharing that could help further the SDGs by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":120130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[946,50],"class_list":["post-120129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-microsoft-news","tag-covid-19","tag-recent-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120129"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120129\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}