Public health intelligence session: "#OutbreakAlert An unknown disease has been reported in…" - : technological advances taking us from local headlines to public health intelligence

event
24 Nov 2023
ECDC

The session will be divided in three parts. During the first part, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission will present on the technological innovations and methodological advances they have been working on within the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) initiative. In the second part, major Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (CDCs) will present how they have been using different tools and approaches for threat detection in their routines. The CDCs will discuss strengths and limitations of the tools they are using as well as their perspectives on which areas of innovation need to be further developed for improving public health threat detection and overall, the public health intelligence processes they implement.
The session will close with a debate in which ESCAIDE participants will be encouraged to discuss with the presenters the way forward in public health intelligence in terms of tools and cutting-edge technology.

Date and time

Friday, 24 November, 12.30 - 13.30 CET

Moderators

Vicky Lefevre

Sweden
Head of Unit | Public Health Functions Unit | European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

Philip Abdelmalik

Germany
Head of Unit | Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence | World Health Organization

Philip is an epidemiologist and public health informatician leading the Intelligence Innovation and Integration unit at the World Health Organization’s Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin. The unit works to build and strengthen public health intelligence capacity around the world through cross-disciplinary projects and initiatives. Prior to joining WHO in 2017, Philip worked at the Public Health Agency of Canada (2004-2017) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health / University of Toronto (1999-2003). Philip’s work has almost always been in the context of emergency preparedness and response activities, including trying to raise two young (mostly) adorable children with his wife from down under. 

Philip holds a PhD in Public Health Informatics awarded jointly by the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter in the UK, as well as a Master of Health Science (MHSc) in Epidemiology and Community Health and an Honours BSc with a specialization in Human Biology, both from the University of Toronto, Canada. 

Speakers

Luigi Spagnolo

Italy
IT Solutions Architect | Joint Research Centre | European Commission

Luigi Spagnolo is an IT solutions architect working at the European Commission, Joint Research Centre in Ispra (Italy), in the Disaster Risk Management unit. He coordinates the design and development activities around the web portal of the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Politecnico di Milano, Italy.

Gianfranco Spiteri

Mercy Kyeng