{"id":267083,"date":"2020-07-06T16:56:07","date_gmt":"2020-07-06T20:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insidebitcoins.com\/?p=267083"},"modified":"2020-07-06T16:56:07","modified_gmt":"2020-07-06T20:56:07","slug":"afghan-healthcare-ministry-to-fight-drug-counterfeiting-with-blockchain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insidebitcoins.com\/news\/afghan-healthcare-ministry-to-fight-drug-counterfeiting-with-blockchain","title":{"rendered":"Afghan Healthcare Ministry to Fight Drug Counterfeiting with Blockchain"},"content":{"rendered":"
The government of Afghanistan is following in the footsteps of several Muslim countries and letting blockchain handle more parts of its operation.\u00a0However, the latest frontier is one that could challenge the technology\u2019s efficiency \u2013 both as a concept and as a tool for a government overhaul.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, several top players in the country\u2019s healthcare industry announced that they had formed a coalition to test blockchain\u2019s use in combating fake drugs. According to a press release<\/a>, the players \u2014 which include several local pharmaceutical companies and the Afghan healthcare ministry \u2014 will partner with blockchain firm Fantom Operations on the initiative.<\/p>\n The move is coming after a possible collaboration was teased last year. in November, Afghan Voice Agency reported<\/a> that the Ministry of Public Health had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fantom to use its blockchain for the country\u2019s healthcare sector.<\/p>\n At the time, Afghan Public Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz said:<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Apart from the fact that the system would help to combat the issue of counterfeiting, the Afghan Voices report didn\u2019t give any details on how it would run.\u00a0In its press release, Fantom pointed out that local law enforcement authorities had seized 100 tons of fake, substandard, or outdated medicine in 2017. However, the government hopes that the on-chain tracking of these products will provide an immutable audit that will ensure the authenticity of products as they move along the supply chain.<\/p>\n The press release explains that the industry will use Fantom\u2019s Opera blockchain to track 80,000 units of four different pharmaceutical products in the country. If the initial pilot succeeds, they will scale the system to cover more products before the year comes to a close.<\/p>\n For the pilot, the system will track 10,000 joins creams, 50,000 units of hand sanitizers, 10,000 Kofol tablets, and 10,000 Diocare foot creams.<\/p>\n The move marks what appears to be a promising future for Afghanistan, as the country continues to stabilize from the effects of insurgency and decades of conflict. So far, blockchain has been a significant part of that stabilization effort.<\/p>\n In July 2019, tech news source The sociable reported<\/a> that the United Nations had started work on a possible blockchain solution for sustainable urban development in the country.<\/p>\n According to the report, Stepahie Dujarric, a Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said that the U.N.\u2019s Office of Communication and Information technologies will develop a solution for land records and services transparency.<\/p>\n The platform will be a part of the U.N.\u2019s \u201cCity for All\u201d initiative, which began in 2016. The project includes a charter that is set to continue through this year. It\u2019s objective is to advance 12 cities in the country, including the capital \u2014 Kabul.\u00a0The United Nations anticipates that Afghanistan\u2019s population will become dominantly urban in less than two decades. With the initiative, the humanitarian body aims to achieve effective land management, strategic urban planning, and improved municipal\u00a0finance<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Blockchain for Afghanistan<\/b><\/h2>\n