NiMEDix Ecosystem Technology Services Limited, a Nigerian health-tech start-up has designed a blockchain solution to deal with cases of fake Covid-19 test and vaccine certificates in Nigeria and globally.
The health-tech start-up has built strategic partnerships with international titans in the blockchain space. One of such partnerships is with GenoBank, a technology company that secures biodata with blockchain, to deploy an all-in-one global-scale solution for verifiable and tamper-proof Covid-19 vaccine certificates.
This blockchain-based solution will validate test or vaccine certificates using blockchain technology. The solution can also monitor the vaccine supply chain.
Blockchain is a system of recording information in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack, or cheat the system. A blockchain is essentially a digital ledger of transactions that is duplicated and distributed across the entire network of computer systems on the blockchain.
“Although the government is brainstorming to resolve this crisis, it could become catastrophic if it fails to embrace and fully leverage ready technologies in handling the pandemic,” Ochoche Ubenyi, chief executive officer at NiMEDix said.
The NiMEDix solution generates Covid-19 certificates on the ERC 721 Blockchain; a 100 percent immutable, transparent, and verifiable database on the blockchain public network, therefore, allowing governments all over the world to have a single ‘point of truth’.
This innovative solution is timely. It is capable of resolving disagreements between airlines and national governments such as the one between Nigeria and the Emirates airline, over the instances of fake negative Covid-19 test result certificates.
The Emirates had suspended flights to Nigeria in early February over a disagreement on the rapid diagnostic test (RDT). The United Arab Emirates (UAE) insisted that any Nigerian flying to Dubai must fly direct from Lagos or Abuja and should do a Rapid Antigen Test at the airport 4 hours before the flight even after procuring a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test certificate. This was because of reports that fake negative results certificates were on sale in the country.
The Federal Ministry of Aviation rejected this, Emirates suspended flights to Nigeria. Air Peace the only Nigerian Airline that flies to UAE Airport of Sharjah had to also suspended flights.
Other foreign airlines rallied behind the controversial rapid antigen tests as a better alternative to the more reliable PCR test standard for COVID-19.
An official at Finchglow Travels said the aviation market’s earlier tepid recovery of 45 percent had in the last two weeks of March slumped to 15 percent following the withdrawal of both Emirates and Etihad. Nigeria lost 20 percent of its international air traffic.
The Emirates and Dubai Airport specialists had to take the additional medical and security measures that led to the 20 percent drop following instances of counterfeit Covid-19 PCR test results from Nigeria. This was happening at a time when Covid-19 cases were rising in the United Arab Emirates.
Fake Covid-19 vaccine certificates are the new threats to global health. This is because it does not only open new avenues for healthcare fraud. It jeopardises the efforts already invested in the fight against the novel coronavirus.
This new threat provides a new basis for viral transmission which has been the greatest concern of medical professionals around the world. IndianExpress said that fake Covid-19 vaccination certificates add fire to the spread of the pandemic.
According to Ubenyi, the trade of fraudulent vaccine certificates and vaccine shots is not only prevailing on dark websites. They are also being reported to be available on easily accessible and global eCommerce websites like the U.S Craigslist, eBay, and OfferUp. This was revealed by Deccan Herald in one of their recent updates.
There are off-takers already for NiMEDix all-in-one technology solutions for verifiable and tamper-proof Covid-19 vaccine certificates. Synlabs, a company reputed for reliable and affordable healthcare tests is set to deploy this solution exclusively.
With this blockchain-based solution, all Covid-19 tests and vaccine certificates can be verified easily as either fake or original. This is achieved by using the NIMEDix DApp; a mobile application developed for the advancement of healthcare processes, especially in Africa.
Similar blockchain technology is serving the agricultural industry in tracking food security and livestock safety. The NiMEDix chain provides the entry and tracking capabilities for the healthcare product supply chain and the Covid-19 vaccine.
Managing the pandemic is bigger than inventing a vaccine for the virus. While this is important the virus may mutate and become deadlier. This will lead rise and spread of new viruses that will spread faster. This concern is supported by ‘The World Post-Covid 19 Final Report,’ presented by Dubai Center for Future Studies.
To make this solution widely available, NiMEDix wants to partner with players in the fight against coronavirus can direct inquiries to [email protected].
