2024 Discussion Series on AI and Global Health Convening #2

On Thursday, May 9 the Bay Area Global Health Alliance will host their second convening of the 2024 Discussion Series on AI and Global Health (read more about discussion #1). The convening will offer insights from thought leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are navigating the potential of AI to power a dynamic shift to prioritize service delivery over data collection. Krista Donaldson from Stanford University Byers Center for Biodesign will be joined by Rebecca Distler, The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation; Yasmin Chandani, inSupply Health; Sathy Rajasekharan, Jacaranda Health; and Lucien de Voux, Palindrome Data to explore how we can use AI to enhance data accuracy, navigate bias, and have better representation, even with small datasets. Through real-world case studies, we’ll hear from organizations grappling with the challenges of imperfect and incomplete data and gain insights to inform product and program development. With special thanks to Pfizer, sponsor of the Alliance’s AI and Global Health Discussion Series. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the dialogue and explore how AI can be harnessed to drive better outcomes for the communities we serve. Register here.

Please note: Registration closes on Wednesday, May 8 at 5pm PT.

About the Alliance’s AI and Global Health Series:

Following the Alliance’s panel on AI during its 2023 Annual Meeting, and the Alliance’s participation in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Roundtable on AI and Global Health, members requested further convenings to understand opportunities and implications for their work.

This series hopes to tackle that – showcasing members who have started integrating AI into their organizations and programs and exploring how best to ensure the responsible and ethical implementation of AI in their initiatives. It hopes to provide paths forward for those new to AI and those who are well-versed in the emerging technologies.

Leveraging AI technologies offers innovative solutions that can positively impact healthcare systems worldwide. In the context of global health, shifts in healthcare within developed markets offer the promise of significant improvements for underserved communities in global health. The impact spans from empowering community-health workers to enhance patient care in remote regions to assisting low and middle-income countries (LMICs) in proactively averting deadly disease outbreaks. There is a growing acknowledgment of the vast potential of AI tools to disrupt traditional tradeoffs in health access, quality, and cost. Health systems in LMICs grapple with significant challenges such as severe shortages of personnel, medical equipment, and other resources, demanding strategic and innovative solutions. AI tools present an exciting opportunity not only to optimize existing resources and address workforce shortages but also to significantly enhance healthcare delivery and outcomes in low-resource settings.

The series will feature experts, practitioners, and stakeholders from diverse sectors to discuss applications of AI in areas such as healthcare delivery, disease surveillance, diagnostics, and treatment. With a focus on education, knowledge sharing, and networking, these interactive virtual sessions are designed to:

• • Increase our community’s knowledge and awareness of how AI is being integrated into global health programming,
  • Surface opportunities and challenges with the use of AI in low-resources settings, emphasizing critical success factors, and
  • Build a vibrant community for learning, dialogue and networking.

About Our Speakers for Navigating Imperfect Data:

Rebecca Distler, Strategist for AI, Data, and Digital Health, The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. Rebecca is a Strategist for AI, Data, and Digital Health at the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, a philanthropy advancing AI and data solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all. Rebecca has spent the last decade building strategic partnerships and programs with technology companies, foundations, non-profits, and governments to advance innovation in global health. Rebecca previously served as Global Health Programs Lead at ID2020, working on privacy-preserving digital credentials for COVID-19 vaccines, and as Director of Global Health Initiatives at Element, working with partners across Africa and Asia to develop AI digital identity platforms for use in immunization and other health programs. Rebecca holds a BA in Political Science from Yale University and a Masters in Health Policy and Global Health from the Yale School of Public Health. She is a Term Member at the Council on Foreign Relations and a World Economic Forum Global Shaper; she was previously selected as a Forbes Ignite Impact Fellow, AI XPRIZE Semi-Finalist, and Gavi INFUSE Pacesetter.

Yasmin Chandani, CEO, inSupply Health. Yasmin is the CEO of inSupply Health, an East African health advisory firm dedicated to improving people’s access to essential health products and services. Yasmin has spent over 25 years supporting and advising national governments, NGOs and multilateral partners in the strategy, design, implementation and measurement of strong, sustainable supply chains for health. She has worked in 15 countries and served as a director of multi-country, multi-year, complex initiatives, leading teams to develop pioneering supply chain solutions for emergent HIV/AIDS programs and for a range of health programs including family planning, community health, immunization, malaria and essential medicines. Considered a supply chain thought leader, Yasmin is known for her rigorous attention to quality and a successful track record in contextualizing and adapting innovations for building people-centered, responsive supply chains. She is a tireless advocate for supply chain professionalization and the preparation of next generation supply chain professionals, especially women. 

Sathy Rajasekharan, Co-Executive Director, Jacaranda Health. Sathy Rajasekharan is the Co-Executive Director at Jacaranda Health, and oversees the organization’s mission of delivering low-cost, sustainable solutions through public hospitals to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes. Prior to joining Jacaranda Health, Sathy worked at the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), and led CHAI’s work providing technical assistance in Health Financing and Supply Chains to the Eswatini Ministry of Health. He has held previous positions in the innovation space in Montreal, where he helped to develop and commercialize technologies, including digital tools. Sathy holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. He was born in a government hospital in Lusaka, Zambia.

Krista Donaldson, Director of Innovation to Impact, Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign, and Bay Area Global Health Alliance board member. As Director of Innovation to Impact at Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign, Krista Donaldson’s work focuses on ensuring that design tools and processes are broadly applicable across global markets. She is also part of the team establishing the East Africa Biodesign Program, which kicked off in early 2023. Stanford’s Biodesign program advances health outcomes and equity through innovation education, translation, and policy. As the former CEO of Equalize Health (formerly D-Rev), Donaldson led the design and scaling of disruptive medical devices to address global health inequities. To date, nearly 1M people – mostly children and young people – have been treated by one of Equalize Health’s products in 70+ countries. Peter Singer of the Effective Altruism movement called Equalize Health “one of the world’s best charities” because of its cost effectiveness and exemplary end-to-end processes. Donaldson has been recognized as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, TED speaker, and a GLG Social Impact Fellow. She was also named one of Fast Company’s “50 Designers Shaping the Future.” Prior to Equalize Health, she was an Economic Officer at the U.S. Department of State where she managed part of Iraq’s reconstruction portfolio. She also worked at KickStart International (Kenya), and the design firm IDEO (USA). Donaldson holds a master’s degree in Product Design and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.

Lucien de Voux, Co-Founder, Palindrome Data.