Webinar Recap: Digital Innovation in Infectious Disease Surveillance and Response — Opportunities and Challenges

Carl Aryan
May 30
2 min read

Updated: Aug 28

April 2, 2025

The Infectious Disease Alliance (IDA) hosted a thought-provoking webinar on April 2, 2025, titled “Digital Innovation in Infectious Disease Surveillance and Response: Opportunities and Challenges.” The event brought together global health experts, digital health innovators, policymakers, and advocates from across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia to explore how digital tools are transforming infectious disease preparedness and response.

The session highlighted both the promise and the complexity of leveraging digital innovation in global health—emphasizing the need for ethical frameworks, localized design, and inclusive technologies that leave no community behind.

🎯 Key Themes Explored:

Integrating AI and machine learning responsibly into surveillance systems.
Embedding gender equity in digital health design and immunization strategies.
Advancing digital quality standards and accreditation across health systems.
Enhancing interoperability and open-source data access to power One Health solutions.

💡 Speaker Highlights:

🔹 Dr. Patricia Mechael (CEO, health.enabled) emphasized the importance of gender-intentional digital systems and called for robust regulatory structures for AI/ML applications in healthcare.

🔹 Dr. Bhupendra Kumar Rana (CEO, QAI and Board Member, ISfTeH) discussed the role of accreditation in enhancing digital surveillance, advocating for harmonized standards and legal frameworks.

🔹 Dr. Andrea Thomas (Head of Epidemiology, BlueDot) demonstrated how AI-driven platforms can forecast disease outbreaks and championed the use of open-source data and One Health strategies.

🔹 PATH’s Digital Square Team shared field insights from their Digital Innovation in Pandemic Control (DIPC) initiative in Ghana, Malawi, and Tanzania, showcasing how locally-driven digital registries and WHO Digital Adaptation Kits are strengthening immunization systems.

🔎 Key Takeaways:

Digital transformation must prioritize equity, gender inclusion, and system integration.
Open-source and AI-enabled platforms can boost outbreak preparedness—but only with ethical safeguards.
Country-led innovation and cross-sector partnerships are critical for sustainable digital health.

📊 Engagement Snapshot:

159 RSVPs | 79 Attendees
Global Reach: Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia

🗣️ From the Q&A Session:

Discussion touched on real-world implementation of AI, cost-effectiveness in low-resource settings, and regulatory challenges.
Participants from Trinity Challenge, DiGiLum, and IDA sparked valuable exchanges with speakers on practical hurdles and innovations in digital health delivery.

📣 Call to Action: The webinar concluded with a compelling call for collective action. IDA urges policymakers, funders, and innovators to: