Lydia Nakiire is a Senior Technical Advisor in Epidemiology and Surveillance at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), where she leads the Epidemic Intelligence Unit and manages the 7-1-7 project. With a Master’s in Public Health and extensive experience in disease surveillance, epidemiology and public health leadership, she has worked closely with the Ugandan Ministry of Health, particularly at the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre.  

Lydia plays a critical role in research, policy adaptation, and partnership building through the innovations like 7-1-7 initiative, aimed at improving outbreak detection and response. Her efforts have been pivotal in Uganda’s successful piloting of the Early Action Review/7-1-7 timeliness initiative, developed by Resolve to Save Lives and adapted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in August, 2023. Lydia’s work has focused on improving global epidemic preparedness through research, collaborations, and dissemination of vital health communication at both national and global platforms.