Pandemic Center

Wilmot James, Ph.D.

Senior Adviser to the Brown Pandemic Center, Professor of the Practice of Health Services, Policy and Practice at the Brown University School of Public Health
wilmot_james@brown.edu
Research Profile
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Biography

Dr. James, an internationally recognized thought leader in biosecurity, global health, and pandemic preparedness, is a Senior Advisor to the Pandemic Center and a Professor of the Practice of Health Services, Policy and Practice.

Dr. James has served as Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister of Health in South Africa, and most recently held positions at Columbia University as Senior Research Scholar at the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy and as Chair of the Center for Pandemic Research. Wilmot co-chairs the National Framework sub-working group of the G7-led Global Partnership’s Signature Initiative to Mitigate Biological Threats in Africa; is Academic Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Biosecurity Readiness through Intelligence, Data, and Global Engagement (BRIDGE); chairs the Climate-Health Impacts Advisory Committee of the London based Wellcome Trust; chairs one of the selection panels for the Schmidt Science Fellows Post-Doctoral Program; and serves on the Advisory Board of Resolve to Save Lives. Dr. James will use his extensive experience to address public health and national security challenges in his role as senior advisor to the Pandemic Center.

Recent News

Daily Maverick

Game-changer — AI-powered apps can revolutionise public health

The ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa is a stark reminder of the persistent threat of infectious diseases. It also highlights a game-changing opportunity to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health applications in response to not just mpox, but any future infectious disease outbreaks.

AI’s transformative potential, when integrated into digital health tools, can empower individuals and healthcare providers, enabling a more rapid, effective and equitable response to emerging health threats.

The rapid advances in AI over the past few years, particularly since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, offer a glimpse into a future where data-driven insights and intelligent tools can empower us to act swiftly and decisively against emerging health threats. AI-powered digital health apps can serve as critical tools in this endeavour.

Imagine two innovative applications: one designed for people to safely self-navigate infectious disease outbreaks and another tailored for community health workers to efficiently provide vaccinations and medical care. Both can revolutionise public health responses and enhance our ability to manage outbreaks proactively.

During an infectious disease outbreak, timely and accurate information is crucial for the public to make informed decisions. An AI-powered app that helps individuals and families self-navigate outbreaks by providing real-time, personalised guidance based on the latest information can radically improve infectious disease response and containment.

The consumer app would deliver easy-to-understand and concise summaries of the pathogen, the most vulnerable cohorts, local exposure risk factors, a person’s risk of death if infected, and the availability of vaccinations and infection treatment.

Such an app offers a single source of truth for informed infectious disease management tailored to each family’s circumstances. The actionable insights are a lens into prevention measures, symptom monitoring and when to seek medical care.
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Daily Maverick

Mpox outbreak in the DRC – a call for an urgent collaborative continental response

As of 28 July 2024, a total of 14,250 cases of mpox (2,745 confirmed; 11,505 suspected) and 456 deaths have been recorded in 10 African countries, including Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa.

The DRC outbreak, ongoing since 2022, accounts for more than 90% of the reported cases of severe mpox clade 1b. This year, the DRC identified 13,791 cases, with children under 15 accounting for 68% of cases and 85% of deaths.

Four countries – Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda – previously unaffected by mpox, have reported cases since mid-July 2024 (at least 50 confirmed cases, with clade 1b now confirmed in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda).

There is a vaccine that is effective against both clades, but it is not widely available. The resources to contain and avoid this unfolding crisis exist but must be brought to bear to contain the outbreak with the greatest urgency possible.

This zoonotic virus, endemic to the forested regions of east, central and west Africa, has shown increased human-to-human transmission, including by way of sexual transmission, which deviates from the historically zoonotic (animal) nature of the disease.

Kenya’s Ministry of Health confirmed an outbreak of mpox clade 1b on 29 July 2024, originating from a traveller moving through Uganda and Rwanda. The development underscored the urgent need for enhanced public health measures across east Africa, as the high mobility of populations through key transport corridors poses a significant risk for regional transmission.
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News from the Pandemic Center

Munich Security Conference: Brown Pandemic Center Partners with Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Foreign Policy to Boost Action on AI and Biosecurity for Pandemic Threats, 100 Days Mission

A new exercise, highlighting the ability of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to meet pandemic threats, will be tested this week at the Munich Security Conference.
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