PanDa-V-M Data Tools

Solution Name:

PanDa-V-M Data Tools

One-line solution summary:

Data viewer and modeller for improved pandemic/epidemic analysis and response

Pitch your solution.

Current pandemic/epidemic responses are typically based on excessively generalized data, resulting in relatively poor outcomes in terms of health, economics, and politics. Responses (e.g. control measures, health facilities provision, public health messaging) could be improved by referring to more locally specific data on population health conditions and risks, as well as other relevant data. The PanDa tools aim to enable collection, mapping, viewing, and analysis of relevant data so as to provide insights needed for designing and implementing more informed, locally specific, and equitable pandemic/epidemic responses.

What specific problem are you solving?

The proposed solution is motivated by and addresses primarily the present CoViD-19 pandemic, but it is also potentially applicable to other concurrent health/disease emergencies, as well as to future outbreaks of CoViD and/or other pandemics/epidemics. The specific problem addressed concerns the present apparent inadequacy of pandemic/epidemic response design due to insufficiently specific (i.e. spatially localised and demographically detailed) data collection and analysis. 

The scale of the problem is enormous (essentially global but heterogeneous in intensity). CoViD case numbers and death counts still increase daily in many places, future outbreaks/resurgence are expected even in places currently showing improvement, and actual numbers of affected people are generally underestimated/-counted/-reported due to various limitations. (See reputable publicly available sources for up-to-date information, e.g. the Our World in Data website.)

The fact that actual cases of infection and the severity of subsequent illness (if any) depend on many various factors -- including underlying health conditions, environmental and occupational risks, circumstances of exposure, etc. -- means, however, that typical analysis methods do not adequately account for differences in susceptibility. Compounded by the varying economic and social impacts across different communities, age groups, __ , this makes broad-brush response policies and measures unlikely to succeed. 

What is your solution?

The PanDa-V-M tools support design of better informed, more nuanced pandemic/epidemic responses by enabling collection, viewing, analysis and modelling of pandemic/epidemic data and data on relevant other factors (e.g. underlying health conditions, environmental and occupational hazards, demographic data, etc.) ...

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

The target for this work is potentially the entire population of the places where it is applied, inasmuch as the outcomes of the CoViD-19 disease itself and of the responses to it affect essentially everyone. More specifically, it potentially affects health workers dealing with the CoViD-19 pandemic/epidemic and the patients in their care, as well as the people making policies to respond to the pandemic/epidemic, and of course all who are subjected to the effects of those policies.

Still more specifically, it is aimed to be used by health researchers and practitioners advising response policy makers (at various levels, both public and private), preferably in collaboration with those policy makers. Community groups, advocates and others concerned with influencing policy would also potentially benefit. Ongoing development of the solution needs to engage primarily these three stakeholder groups (health, policy, community) for tailoring its capabilities to address their needs for more informed work with pandemic/epidemic -related data.

Explain how the problem, your solution, and your solution’s target population relate to the Challenge.

The solution aligns with the Health Security and Pandemics Challenge primarily by addressing how responses to disease outbreaks can be improved. Specifically, it aims to improve the design of more nuanced response policies and measures, which are more appropriate to the specific localities where they are implemented (rather than being excessively generalized, broad-brush responses). This means that future responses to CoVid-19 and/or other outbreaks can be tailored to give better outcomes in terms of health, economics, and politics, based on more specific needs of more specific populations and circumstances.

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Who is the primary delegate for your solution?

Andre Chaszar

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?