Global hackathon tackles COVID-19 head-on

Developers from all over the world competed in a global hackathon, #CodeforCOVID19. The Better Health Hackathon aimed at crowdsource technology innovations to help find solutions in the long-term and help mitigate the impact of the current pandemic.

Global hackathon developers were aided by leading technology and healthcare companies, academic experts and thought leaders from HCL Technologies. They directed their focus on developing technological solutions like pandemic prevention and containment, treatment, diagnostics, therapeutic management and systemic solutions for future crises.

As part of the global hackathon program, HCL partnered with Microsoft and International SOS – the world’s largest medical and travel security firm – to provide technical and business oversight in the contest as well as feedback to team entries. A wide range of companies and executives spanning multiple industries acted as judges and advisory panel members including scholars from the University of Cambridge, Johns Hopkins University, The University of Queensland and many other prestigious institutions.

The global hackathon was made open to entrepreneurs, technology innovators and problem solvers from the global developer community. It has received 7,500 registrations from 600+ unique organizations and academic institutions across 350 different locations and countries. To better engage top talent in the coding community, the global hackathon partnered with BeMyApp to leverage its expansive network of tech enthusiasts and coders.

The HCL Better Health Hackathon: #CodeForCOVID19 tackled the following topics:

• Prevention and containment: Where the global hackathon looked at solutions that safeguard us in our everyday life, and that can improve the means which credible information is relayed.
• Diagnosis, treatment, and therapeutic management: Whereby they tackled ways to better equip frontline healthcare workers and better protect them.
• Recovery and return to normal. The hackathon focused on technology that can protect communities against another outbreak.
• Systemic solutions for crises and pandemic management: The innovative use of next-gen technologies to account for long-term implications of Coronavirus and to better prepare for any future pandemics.