REGISTER The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vast applications of data science and AI-driven tools in the health sector. Yet as countries continue to integrate the use of these technologies into their national strategies, it is imperative that they simultaneously invest in the local people and workforce that will create and use them. During this discussion, experts will explore the role of education and professional development as a means to unlock the full potential of AI-for-health tools, and reflect on how countries can best prepare to create, recruit and retain expertise in the field. This panel will hone in on the importance of youth engagement, gender equity and the equitable distribution of skills in low-and-middle income countries. MODERATOR Natasha Sunderji
Global Health Lead | Accenture Development Partnerships
Natasha Sunderji is the Global Health Lead for Accenture Development Partnerships – an innovative business unit at Accenture that works with leading international development organizations to address the world’s social, economic and environmental issues. Natasha has 15+ years of experience advising multinational companies, social enterprises, NGOs, and multilateral agencies on growth strategy, business model design, digital health, and cross sector partnerships. She has worked with leading organizations to design patient centric technology solutions, supported health impact investors to develop commercialization and scaling strategies for their portfolio grantees, and advised policy makers on the regulations and investments needed to drive a robust digital health ecosystem. She has written multiple articles and reports on the promise of digital health and the challenges in scaling leading solutions, in collaboration with Devex, the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, IFC, and others. Natasha holds a Bachelors in Biomedical Engineering from University of Toronto, and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School. PANELISTS Bethany Hedt-Gauthier
Associate Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine | Harvard Medical School
Bethany Hedt-Gauthier is a Biostatistician and an Associate Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine (Harvard Medical School) and Biostatistics (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health). Her primary research interests include quantifying the health needs of and evaluating programs targeting marginalized populations, with a focus on global surgery research. She currently leads research related to provision of cesarean sections and outcomes at rural district hospitals in Rwanda. This body of work includes developing machine learning algorithms for image-based diagnostics for surgical site infections. In addition to her research work, Hedt-Gauthier leads scholarship and advocacy on equity in global health research collaborations. Her work spans multiple countries, with extended residencies in Namibia, Malawi, and Rwanda.
Anjelou Marie Estrella
Senior Manager | reach52
Anjelou Marie Estrella is a Senior Manager at reach52, a Singapore headquartered social enterprise looking to create healthcare systems for rural areas across the Philippines, Cambodia and India. She implements community-based projects in the Philippines, that are bridging the gaps within healthcare systems through digital, community-run solutions. She leads both physical and virtual training for community healthcare workers and youth leaders in rural areas, as well as manages a team rolling out a range of health services.
Anjelou is an academic fellow of Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) at Kennesaw State University, and is a member of Ashoka’s Changemaker Xchange in Asia and Global Shapers Community Iloilo Hub. She is a public health advocate with a passion involving youth in nation-building. At age 19, she co-founded a youth organization called Team Dugong Bughaw that aims to raise awareness on HIV and AIDS testing, and empower those living with HIV.
Mahadia Tunga
Co-Founder and Director of Capacity Development | Tanzania dLab
Mahadia Tunga is trained as a computer scientist with specialization in data science. She has a keen interest in strengthening the data ecosystem in Tanzania and Africa through capacity development. Mahadia has vast experience in managing capacity development projects as well as gender-based and youth-engagement programs, with special interest in assisting young women.
Mahadia has delivered strategic consulting for both public and private health programs focused on machine learning, open data, data innovation, visualization, and analysis. Her consulting services have been sought out by many organizations including Cambridge Education, Irex, World Bank, and African Monitor. Mahadia has also trained over 2000 individuals and 50 organisations in Tanzania, Uganda, Congo, South Africa, Cairo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Somalia, Djibouti, etc.
At the University of Dar es Salaam, Mahadia has contributed to the development of the first ever MSc Data Science Curriculum in East Africa. She is driven by a desire to impact lives—especially those of young women—through training, skills enhancement and knowledge development.
