Contact tracing -- the process of identifying people who may have been exposed to the coronavirus in order to slow its spread -- is a fundamental tool in the fight against COVID-19. How can we scale this critical work across the entire United States? Joia Mukherjee, chief medical officer of Partners in Health, discusses how her team is working with public health agencies to ramp up contact tracing for the country's most vulnerable communities -- and shows why it will take a compassionate approach to be truly effective. (This ambitious plan is part of The Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change. The conversation, hosted by head of TED Chris Anderson and current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was recorded May 27, 2020.)

Joia Mukherjee: How to quickly scale up contact tracing across the US

How to quickly scale up contact tracing across the US

Chief Medical Officer, Partners in Health

Scaling contact tracing in the US demands a compassionate approach, focusing on care, equity, and providing crucial resources.

Rwanda's early contact tracing efforts contained COVID-19 cases to 134 in one month, showcasing the power of swift, coordinated action.

Contact tracing, beyond tracking, is about offering care and resources, turning a method of control into an act of community support.