Recently, it was announced that Afghanistan’s government had shown intent to try and bolster its healthcare sector through the use of blockchain technology. The intention is to tackle counterfeit medicines, create medical registries in hospitals, and digitize patients’ files with the goal of modernizing the approach.
Part of the problem in a country like Afghanistan is that there is still a strong belief in traditional medicine, and with hospitals and the healthcare sector in general not excelling, there is no desire for the population to trust and believe in it.
More so, the antiquated record-keeping, lack of transparency in terms of medicine, and effectiveness of the administration of the healthcare sector means that this important facet of the country’s operation is being held back.
Afghanistan is now looking to make the leap forward into more modern healthcare, but instead of simply trying to catch up to the rest of the world, it is taking a bold step to incorporate a burgeoning technology that has long been associated healthcare and its potential there.
Afghan Public Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz explained in the local media:
“The Ministry of Public Health is committed for the institutionalization of electronic government in the health sector, and the blockchain technology would help the ministry bring transparency, acceleration, and effectiveness in the related affairs.”
The issue of counterfeit medicine is running rife in the middle eastern country, according to the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). The government is well aware of the problems, but even the public have expressed their concerns and are even preferring to utilize traditional medicine for health problems due to their inexpensiveness and accessibility.
“The Medicine Importers Union stated that at least 40% of medicine and medical equipment enter the Afghan market illegally and many of the pharmaceutical products are low quality,” the EASO report read.
I spoke with Michael Chen, the CMO of Fantom, the blockchain provider that has signed an MoU with the Afghan government. Fantom, interestingly, will be using a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) distributed Ledger technology for the Afghan healthcare sector issues. This technology is supposed to be far faster, and easier to scale, but it sacrifices decentralization somewhat for this.
Chen explained how, with the degree of counterfeiting and corruption in Afghanistan, and its healthcare sector, why blockchain makes sense for them.
“Blockchain technology is especially suitable in making data untamperable and immutable. In countries that see a lot of corruption the e-government and digital data need to be tamper proof to ensure the integrity of the system within. Untamperable patient health records are only a start for eternalizing the data of citizens.”
Chen also went on to address how the technology will be able to start at least tackling the problem of counterfeit medicine, although he did state it would only be a start. However, if there is a success in Afghanistan, it could set a precedent for the rest of the globe as counterfeit medicine is not a wholly Afghan problem.
“This technology will help the health sector in multiple ways, right now, counterfeit medicine is a multi-million dollar problem with mass-produced fake medication. The RFID/QR code-based supply chain tracking solutions won’t completely end counterfeit medication but will make the mass circulation of counterfeits extremely difficult.”
Afghanistan has been pushing itself to the forefront of blockchain usage for some time now. As a smaller, previously war-torn country, there is a lot that needs to be addressed, and re-addressed in order for the nation to right itself.
Blockchain technology allows for the government to try and leapfrog forward, rather than simply play catch up. In the healthcare sector, they have already identified the potential of the technology, but they are also eyeing it out for sustainable urban development.
Working with the UN, a blockchain solution is being lined up for Afghanistan in order to drive sustainable urban development as it is expected that Afghanistan’s population is becoming mostly urban within the next 15 years.
Chen also alluded to the fact that Afghanistan is quite blockchain-progressive while outlining how the Ministry of Public Health has recently shown their interest.
“The Ministry of Public Health has shown great interest in the technology and its potential and will be slated to start using the technology in January. There has been interest in other parts of the government too, which would be positive as all systems could interoperate in that case.”
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Lately, it used to be announced that Afghanistan’s government had shown intent to inspect and bolster its healthcare sector by the utilize of blockchain technology. The map is to address false medicines, procure scientific registries in hospitals, and digitize patients’ recordsdata with the aim of modernizing the advance.
Fragment of the topic in a nation love Afghanistan is that there is peaceable a solid perception in veteran treatment, and with hospitals and the healthcare sector most continuously no longer excelling, there’ll not be any longer any desire for the inhabitants to trust and maintain in it.
More so, the antiquated memoir-defending, lack of transparency by ability of treatment, and effectiveness of the administration of the healthcare sector blueprint that this indispensable component of the nation’s operation is being held reduction.
Afghanistan is now trying to procure the jump forward into more stylish healthcare, but in its set of merely making an try to salvage as much as the the rest of the realm, it’s taking a brave step to incorporate a burgeoning technology that has lengthy been related healthcare and its attainable there.
Afghan Public Successfully being Minister Ferozuddin Feroz outlined in the native media:
“The Ministry of Public Successfully being is devoted for the institutionalization of digital government in the health sector, and the blockchain technology would lend a hand the ministry bring transparency, acceleration, and effectiveness in the related affairs.”
The direct of false treatment is working rife in the heart jap nation, in accordance to the European Asylum Enhance Diagram of enterprise (EASO). The government is effectively attentive to the complications, but even the final public have expressed their issues and are even preferring to procure doubtlessly the most of veteran treatment for health complications as a consequence of their inexpensiveness and accessibility.
“The Medication Importers Union acknowledged that in any case 40% of treatment and scientific instruments enter the Afghan market illegally and most of the pharmaceutical products are low quality,” the EASO memoir learn.
I spoke with Michael Chen, the CMO of Fantom, the blockchain supplier that has signed an MoU with the Afghan government. Fantom, interestingly, continuously is the utilization of a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) distributed Ledger technology for the Afghan healthcare sector factors. This technology is supposed to be a ways faster, and more straightforward to scale, but it sacrifices decentralization somewhat for this.
Chen outlined how, with the stage of counterfeiting and corruption in Afghanistan, and its healthcare sector, why blockchain is ideal for them.
“Blockchain technology is in particular like minded in making records untamperable and immutable. In countries that search heaps of corruption the e-government and digital records need to be tamper proof to be positive that the integrity of the system inside of. Untamperable patient health records are simplest a originate for eternalizing the records of voters.”
Chen also went on to handle how the technology will likely be in a map to originate in any case tackling the topic of false treatment, although he did train it might possibly perhaps simplest be a originate. On the replacement hand, if there is a hit in Afghanistan, it’s going to also area a precedent for the the rest of the globe as false treatment is no longer a unconditionally Afghan area.
“This technology will lend a hand the health sector in more than one techniques, correct now, false treatment is a multi-million greenback area with heavily produced deceptive medication. The RFID/QR code-basically based provide chain tracking solutions might possibly no longer fully finish false medication but will procure the mass circulation of counterfeits extremely sophisticated.”
Afghanistan has been pushing itself to the forefront of blockchain utilization for a whereas now. As a smaller, previously battle-torn nation, there is loads that desires to be addressed, and re-addressed in remark for the nation to correct itself.
Blockchain technology lets in for the federal government to inspect and leapfrog forward, in desire to merely play salvage up. Within the healthcare sector, they have already identified the aptitude of the technology, but they’re also eyeing it out for sustainable urban construction.
Working with the UN, a blockchain resolution is being lined up for Afghanistan in remark to power sustainable urban construction because it’s anticipated that Afghanistan’s inhabitants is turning into mostly urban inside of the following 15 years.
Chen also alluded to the truth that Afghanistan is reasonably blockchain-revolutionary whereas outlining how the Ministry of Public Successfully being has currently shown their hobby.
“The Ministry of Public Successfully being has shown gigantic hobby in the technology and its attainable and will likely be slated to originate the utilization of the technology in January. There has been hobby in other parts of the federal government too, which might possibly perhaps be sure as all programs also can interoperate if that’s the case.”
