The world’s inability to detect and contain the spread of COVID-19 has been financially devastating. The International Monetary Fund says that the global economy will shrink by 3% this year. Many analysts have described the decline as the worst since the Great Depression of the 1930s, with 42.6 million people applying for unemployment benefits in America alone. With these losses, budgets are tightening around the world. Prioritization of essential spending is more critical than ever, and many governments and organizations are understandably placing their hopes in the development of an effective vaccine. But as much as a vaccine is needed to address the pandemic, accurate and real-time data is needed to enable the detection and containment of its spread. And governments and development organizations can do more to better strengthen statistical systems by providing adequate financing.
Read MoreOpen data isn’t a new concept. It’s been a conversation-starter in government circles for years, as we’ve seen more and more governments launch open data initiatives in countries, states and cities across the globe. But beyond the PR opportunity and desire to appear open, has data openness actually made a difference? Thankfully, the answer is a resounding yes. The evidence shows how both citizens and governments have benefited, as governments continue to open up their official statistics and datasets for public review.
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