Biometric fingerprinting deployed at anti-retroviral therapy and antenatal clinics in Malawi
Information Certainty: Documented
Deployment Purpose: Health Surveillance
| Summary |
|---|
| In Malawi, a national biometric ID was introduced in 2017. It is not yet integrated with the health system. However, evidence from academic research shows that biometric fingerprinting has been in use in ART (anti-retroviral therapy) clinics since at least 2020, as researchers are assessing the opinions of people using the service. ART is for people with HIV. In Malawi, this is also integrated into antenatal care. Further academic research shows that academics have run trials of biometric fingerprinting in antenatal clinics. The performance of such trials is arguably sensitive as it is unclear how data like this can always be protected, even if the data is deleted. Further, as evidence itself from the research itself indicates, people do not understand the implications of their biometric data being processed. |
Products and Institutions:
| Product Deployed | Unknown Products 0111 |
|---|---|
| Institutions ⠉ | Malawi Ministry of Health |
| Datasets | Unknown Dataset 0175 |
| Search software |
Status and Events:
| Status | Ongoing |
|---|---|
| Events | Start (5 June 2020, Documented, , At least since then) |
| Start Date | |
| End Date |
Users:
| Involved Entities | Government of Malawi |
|---|---|
| Managed by | Malawi Ministry of Health |
| Used by | Malawi Ministry of Health |
Location:
| City | Lilongwe |
|---|---|
| Country ⠉ | Malawi |
Description[ ]
In 2017 Malawi began introducing a biometric national ID. It is not (yet) linked tot he health system. However, evidence from academic research shows that some ART (anti-retroviral therapy) clinics are using biometric fingerprinting. ART is usually for patients with HIV.
Delivery levels within the health system are linked to each other through an elaborate referral system. The use of biometrics within the ART programme is currently confined to clinics situated at secondary or tertiary healthcare levels as these have both human and technical capacity for effective implementation. Hospital data for this study was collected from three central hospitals and one community hospital, each of which uses a fingerprint as a biometric tool in the registration, tracking, verification and ongoing management of clients at ART clinics 2
In Malawi, ART is also routinely integrated into antenatal care. researchers ran a trial of biometric fingerprinting on such clinics. The researchers say they deleted the data collected after the study was conducted.
Biometric fingerprint scanning may hold promise as a way to quickly and consistently identify patients when they transfer clinics, thereby supporting their sustained engagement in HIV care. In resource-limited settings biometric fingerprint scanning has been identified as feasible and acceptable strategy to identify patients, monitor healthcare visits, and link health records across multiple sources or locations(16–19). But the feasibility and acceptability of using biometric fingerprint scanning to monitor and support engagement in HIV care for HIV-infected women during the perinatal period is unknown. To address this gap, we assessed the feasibility and acceptability of biometric fingerprint scanning to identify women and monitor HIV visits in a pilot study in two large antenatal clinics in Lilongwe, Malawi 1
References
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- ^ Mwapasa, Mphatso and Gooding, Kate and Kumwenda, Moses and Nliwasa, Marriott and Kaswaswa, Kruger and Sambakunsi, Rodrick and Parker, Michael and Bull, Susan and Desmond, Nicola. “Are we getting the biometric bioethics right?” – the use of biometrics within the healthcare system in Malawi. , 2020.
- ^ Bengtson, Angela M. and Kumwenda, Wiza and Lurie, Mark and Klyn, Brandon and Owino, Michael and Miller, William C. and Go, Vivian and Hosseinipour, Mina C.. Improving monitoring of engagement in HIV care for women in Option B+: a pilot test of biometric fingerprint scanning in Lilongwe, Malawi. , 2020.