After decades of war, the infrastructure in Afghanistan was the hardest hit with medical services not accessible to anyone. The war led to many challenges, with only 9% of Afghanistan’s having access to health services in 2002. However, with the situation improving changes come and by 2016, access to health services rose to 60% and 90%.
While the government picks up the broken pieces and tries to put everything back together, it has taken on blockchain technology to leverage its features and streamline its health sector. Through its Ministry of Public Health, the Afghan government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FantomOperations.
Through the MoU, FantomOperations will come in to integrate blockchain technology into the Afghan Public Health sector. Integration of blockchain technology will unearth high levels of transparency, streamline systems in place and improve access to health care services.
However, per the statement from the ministry of health, integration of blockchain technology into the health sector will help digitize patient’s records, help create medical registries in hospitals and even help fight counterfeits.
With the government, residents and other stakeholders raising concerns over the high levels of counterfeit medicines finding its way into Afghanistan, the integration of blockchain technology will help get rid of fake drugs. The latter became a huge menace leading to locals opting to use traditional medicines due to its inexpensiveness. While some of the medicines works, in other instances, it doesn’t help. However, with the government now committed to fighting counterfeits, locals stand to gain.
While commenting on the above development, Ferozuddin Feroz Afghan Public Health Minister said;
“The Afghan Ministry of Public health is committed and ready to revolutionize the health sector by leveraging blockchain technology to improve levels of effectiveness and transparency and also increase access to medical services.”
As the health ministry sets out to revolutionize the health sector, on the other hand, the United Nations is leveraging blockchain solutions to help sustain Afghan urban development. In the latter exercise, they have set out to leverage blockchain technology to bring transparency to services and also digitize land records. The latter is part of the UN’s City for all initiative.
