EpiHackTM Vietnam 2017

InSTEDD iLab Southeast AsiaOctober 2017 - Serena Resort and Hotel, Hoa Binh Province, Vietnam

The week long EpiHack Vietnam kicked off on October 9th 2017 by Dr. Tran Dac Phu, the Director of the Vietnam

General Department of Preventive Medicine (GDPM). The event was held outside of Hanoi, organized by

InSTEDD with facilitation assistance from OpenDream and sponsorship by Skoll Global Threats Fund.

Theme of EpiHack Vietnam:

“General Population Participation in Disease Surveillance”

The keynote speaker was Mr. William Greene, a locally based tech journalist who has written on health and

digital innovation in Vietnam for over seven years. He inspired the participants and provided insights into how

ICT solutions can be critical tools in stopping pandemics and slowing the spread of infectious diseases.

Sokmesa Khiev from the iLab Southeast Asia team provided introductory information about human centered

design and the use of open source digital technologies in a public health setting. Sokmesa was followed by Keng

from Open Dream who provided the “What is an EpiHack” session.

A total of 70 participants

made up of local and regional

Health Experts and Vietnam

based Technologists were

split into four different groups

to brainstorm and develop

ideas under pre-selected

topics under the main theme.

Four Prototyping Areas Emerged in the EpiHack:

1. Making Data ActionableData Visualization and an Analysis System

2. Encouraging Early DetectionPublic Hotline for Reporting Outbreaks

3. Population EngagementDeveloping a Smartphone Application for Reporting

4. Curating and Cross-checking InformationUsing Social Media to Screen for Outbreaks

Group Facilitators came from GDPM, iLab SEA, iLab Latam, Open Dream and ADB

The EpiHack Vietnam benefitted from strong local technology engagement.

Ministry of Health Vietnam Participants came from the local to central level of the reporting systems, including

Provincial Preventive Medicine Center, Commune and District level. During the event they offered rapid feedback

of prototype ideas to improve and prepare them for real world usage.

Regional and international participants came from Cambodia, Thailand, Nepal and Uganda. These non-

Vietnamese EpiHack Participants were all invited to present and share their experience and expertise with

the local participants. Simultaneous translation services helped overcome language barriers.

Master of ceremony for the upcoming EpiHack Uganda event, Dr. Eddie Mookyo, was an active observer,

participant, and presenter during the event. He walked away with a deep understanding of the EpiHack approach.

On the final day of the EpiHack the four groups present their prototypes to

Guests of Honor and to members of the General Department of Preventive

Medicine.

Prototype 1: Data Visualization and an Analysis System

Prototype 2: 115 Hotline for Reporting Outbreaks

Prototype 3: Smartphone Application

Prototype 4: Social Media Screening for Disease Outbreaks

EpiHack Vietnam 2017 delivered a unique opportunity for local government health

officials and technologists to work intensively together, share knowledge and hack for

health on solutions to stop pandemics.

Special thanks to

For more information about

InSTEDD and the digital disease

surveillance work in Southeast

Asia and worldwide please visit:

www.instedd.org

/instedd /iLabSEA /instedd