Data sharing partnership will support UNICEF’s efforts around epidemiology, disaster preparedness and response, and detecting demographic biases in developing regions
New York, (September 10, 2019) – Cuebiq, a leader in offline location intelligence and consumer insights, today announced a partnership with United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Through its Data for Good program, Cuebiq will share its location data with UNICEF to gain critical, life-saving insights in order to serve vulnerable populations and inform humanitarian and emergency responses around the world. Cuebiq’s data will be accessible through UNICEF’s open source platform, Magic Box.
The partnership will allow UNICEF to explore initiatives that have the potential to better:
- Respond to epidemics: Cuebiq data can advance UNICEF’s computational modeling which predicts where diseases are likely to spread, especially as international travel and global interconnectivity increases.
- Prepare and respond to natural disasters: In addition to revealing whether evacuations are occurring during disasters, Cuebiq data can also predict which communities are more likely to evacuate or shelter in place, which is invaluable for analyzing long-term trends of displacement and resettlement.
- Identify and address demographic bias: By correlating mobility patterns between socioeconomic segments, Cuebiq data can offer a more accurate analysis of aggregated mobility patterns in developing regions.
“In order for humanitarian agencies like UNICEF to plan for, respond to or prevent future crises, like epidemics or natural disasters, access to accurate and high-quality data in real time is crucial,” said Brennan Lake, Program Director, Data for Good, Cuebiq. “Furthermore, we can compare the before, during and after time periods, which helps response teams better understand and plan for how populations move to save lives and build more resilient communities.”
Cuebiq’s location data is a privacy-compliant data source that enables anonymous human mobility analysis, at scale, while protecting the privacy of vulnerable populations.
“Aggregated mobility data shows great potential for strategic development planning and improved responses to humanitarian crises,” said Manuel Garcia-Herranz, Chief Scientist, UNICEF. “Cuebiq’s data allows us to also assess data bias, so we can develop impactful solutions that make sure initiatives dependent on big-data are inclusive and leave no one behind – particularly populations most likely to be underrepresented.”
Launched in 2017, Cuebiq’s Data for Good program provides anonymous location data to the scientific and research community to foster positive action in the service of humanity for academic research and humanitarian initiatives related to human mobility. The program aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, which recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth.
Cuebiq’s Data for Good program most recently collaborated with MIT Media Lab in developing the Atlas of Inequality, an income inequality metric for the Boston metro area, as well as with the University of Washington’s THINK Lab in developing a predictive model for hurricane preparedness. Cuebiq has also contributed mobility data for epidemiology research related to the 2016 Zika outbreak and the spread of disease at public places, such as airports.
About Cuebiq
Cuebiq is a leading consumer insights and measurement company, providing brands and marketers a trusted, high quality, and transparent currency for offline visitation data to map and measure the consumer journey. Cuebiq is at the forefront of industry privacy standards, follows a privacy compliant framework in its data collection, and is one of the very first location providers certified by leading privacy association, NAI.
Cuebiq gives brands and marketers access to the largest database of anonymous and accurate location data in the United States. Its AI-driven platform, Clara, offers analytics, audience, and cross-channel and TV attribution capabilities, that empower brands and marketers to make better, more-informed business decisions and marketing strategies. Prioritizing the use of data to make the world a better place, Cuebiq’s Data for Good program encourages top universities and nonprofit organizations across the globe to leverage Cuebiq’s location insights to drive innovation in community causes such as: disaster relief, income inequality and urban development.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
Magic Box, is an open-source platform developed by UNICEF which uses real-time data to inform life-saving humanitarian responses to emergency situations. Magic Box ingests data from public sources and private sector partners, and generates insights based on methodologies and algorithms provided by UNICEF’s data science team.
More info visit: https://www.unicef.org/innovation/Magicbox
Twitter: @UNICEFinnovate
Facebook: @unicef.innovation
Instagram: unicefinnovate
Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/unicef-innovation
UNICEF contact:
Yemi Lufadeju E: [email protected] T: +1917 213 4034
