Article by Andrew J. Zahuranec, Hannah Chafetz and Stefaan Verhulst: “..Moving forward, institutions will need to consider how to embed non-traditional data capacity into their decision-making to better understand the world around them and respond to it.
For example, wastewater surveillance programmes that emerged during the pandemic continue to provide valuable insights about outbreaks before they are reported by clinical testing and have the potential to be used for other emerging diseases.
We need these and other programmes now more than ever. Governments and their partners need to maintain and, in many cases, strengthen the collaborations they established through the pandemic.
To address future crises, we need to institutionalize new data capacities – particularly those involving non-traditional datasets that may capture digital information that traditional health surveys and statistical methods often miss.
The types and sources of non-traditional data sources that stood out most during the COVID-19 response. Image: The GovLab
In our report, we suggest four pathways to advance the responsible access to non-traditional data during future health crises…(More)”.