In developing countries, data collection can be time-consuming, outdated, and of poor quality. However, as technology advances and global networks improve, there is increased capacity and opportunity for a localized data revolution in low and middle-income countries to generate and use their own data to implement and make better decisions in health, education, and other key sectors.
The Aga Khan University Data Innovation Office recently hosted a data seminar to recognize this data-driven revolution in the developing world.
“I've worked in data for 25 years and I've seen how data can be the ultimate competitive advantage for organizations providing hidden insights into daily operations, identifying potential pitfalls, and revealing new sources of growth," said AKU's Chief Data Innovation Officer, Farhana Alarakhiya.
“We were excited to put together this event and bring attention to the key enablers of this data revolution: open-source and mobile technologies, cloud-first strategies, data-driven decision-making, and data privacy and protection."
Diverse speakers from government health policy, data protection regulation, enterprise data science, mobile technology, and academic research shared their experiences and offered insights into how data can be used for good.
The Kenya Data Protection Act was broken down for the participants to better understand how to apply it. Rose Musero, Deputy Data Commissioner at the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner in Kenya, highlighted that it is important to follow ethical and legal guidelines when handling data – for example, collecting the data we need and involving data subjects.
AKU is home to a cutting-edge data science hub that will use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other emerging technologies to improve health and care delivery in local communities. The Utilizing Health Information for Meaningful impact in East Africa through Data Science (or UZIMA-DS) initiative is the first of its kind in the region led by AKU and partners in Kenya, the US, and Canada.
During the seminar, the project's Principal Investigator and Director of AKU's Institute for Human Development, Prof Amina Abubakar gave insights into the efforts that led to a $6.5million grant to fund the project.
“UZIMA-DS will be a game changer in two ways. First, we will leverage existing data to develop tools and models that can aid the early identification of at-risk populations. Second, we will build the capacity of young Kenyan scientists through post-doctoral and Ph.D. fellowships to use large data to inform health policies and practice," Prof Abubakar said.
Claudia Aoro, a participant at the event said, “AKU's Data Seminar was a fantastic way for me to spend my Friday afternoon. My biggest takeaway was to always humanize your data as emphasized by the keynote speaker Catherine Gicheru who offered helpful dos and don'ts of communicating with data for impact. I was also fascinated by how one of the speakers Frank Tamre, picked our brains on how the simplest things we own and even wear could be the next innovation in data."
Overall, there was a general appreciation and recognition of data as the ultimate communicator: it tells us what happened, why it happened, and what will happen next depending on what action you take. Combining data with smart, committed people will deliver social, economic, and environmental impacts that can change the world.
