Professor Andy Tatem talks to us about WorldPop, the research programme he heads that is based in the School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton. The team at WorldPop uses satellite imagery and mobile phone data to map population distributions in areas of the Global South and this data is used by governments for resource allocation and policy-making. 

In this episode, Andy shares case studies emphasising the impact of timely data on healthcare decisions in countries like Papua New Guinea and Afghanistan. He talks through the ethical considerations in data collection and his vision to supplement traditional censuses, in a bid to empower marginalised communities through better-informed decision-making.

Join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

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The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

Producer: Emily Uchida Finch

Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert

A Whistledown Production