A team at the Institute for Technology and Global Health explains how countries should coordinate their contact tracing responses and how only an international non-governmental organization can effectively lead this effort.
Our very own Maurizio Arseni, Maria Carnovale, Augusto Gesualdi, and Laura Murphy share with Issues in Science and Technology their analysis of the digital contact tracing industry. Their main takeaway: now that the technology is developed, and international NGO should coordinate countries' efforts to trace travelers if they hope to reopen their borders.
"A global NGO’s role will ultimately be that of mediating between the interests of the public, governments, and the necessary tech giants. Even if the 60% target adoption rate is reached, it will take trust and collaboration among the parties involved; users will still need to engage with the app once it’s on their smartphones, and public health authorities will have to use it to inform their responses. The thing that will make digital contract tracing effective is coordination, not unrealistic adoption objectives."
To know more about how an NGO can help build an international contact tracing infrastructure maintaining a commitment to privacy, transparency, and inclusiveness, check out their full article on Issues in Science and Technology.