St. Augustine, 15 March 2024: PAHO/WHO collaborated, through resources from the Joint Sustainable Development Goals Fund Project, with the University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago for a forum titled "Empowering Women to Harness the Power of Data: Inspiring Inclusion." The forum revolved around the Women in Data Science (WiDS) Initiative, which aimed to inspire and educate data scientists globally while providing support specifically for women in the field.
Dr. Letetia Addison, the WiDS Trinidad & Tobago Ambassador, and her team recognized the pivotal role data science plays in public health. They envisioned a partnership between WiDS, PAHO/WHO, and UWI due to the alignment of their work in equity and data science, particularly in addressing pressing challenges such as those in public health.
The event's objectives were multifaceted: to promote inclusion and diversity, empower women in data science, share knowledge through engaging panel discussions, inspire the next generation, facilitate networking opportunities, and award those who placed on the global leaderboard for the WiDs Datathon.
In her opening remarks on behalf of Dr. Gabriel Vivas Francesconi, PAHO/WHO Representative for Trinidad and Tobago, and the Dutch Entities, Ms. Nicola Taylor, PAHO/WHO Programme Management Specialist for the Dutch Entities, emphasized the organization's commitment to recognizing and celebrating the achievements of women. She underscored PAHO's dedication to investing in women and highlighted the importance of integrating women's voices and perspectives into decision-making processes to build resilient health systems that positively impact health and development.
Ms. Taylor also highlighted the critical role of data science, particularly in public health, emphasizing its application in leveraging artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies for digital transformation. Data science facilitates general and predictive analysis for modeling and forecasting, identifies trends in public health, and offers practical solutions for improving health outcomes.
The day’s events culminated in honoring participants who excelled in the WiDS Datathon. The Datathon presented intricate challenges, offering data science aficionados an opportunity to hone their skills by crafting models aimed at predicting whether a patient will receive their initial treatment within a specified timeframe following diagnosis. This underscores the indispensable role of data science in revolutionizing healthcare practices.
The event served as a platform that brought together a diverse array of participants, including student data science enthusiasts from secondary and tertiary-level academic institutions, academics, researchers, industry experts, and other stakeholders.
