Topic: Blockchain and Medicine in Africa (Read 596 times)

I am believe blockchain can used for any purpose. Blockchain is powerfull tool and can help us making our job more easier and save a lot money. I am believe we can implementing blockchain in healthcare for peoples in africa.

It is good if there is a strong push for a blockchain for the healthcare in Africa. But it needs to start in an ICO to see if there are people willing to take part in helping poor people there.

It would be good for africa. We know that the country is struggling economically and most especially in health aspects and maybe such idea as this, which is so important to people, would benefit many.

As long as those people knows how to take advantage of Blockchain, then it might at some point in time help Africa specially in fields of medicine because we all know that there are a lot of people there dying without being seen by a doctor. But its going to take some time to be able to gauge how much blockchain can help that continent. But its better to start early so that we can see the effects right away.

In my opinion there is a big chance to improve that sphere in Africa by using blockchain, I think that way because there is a great opportunity to those who are earning money and Bitcoin to spend in medicine.

If you need a blockchain solution to prevent counterfeit drugs look no further than farmatrust. Hard cap was reached and has some very impressive backing including someone from the UK government. ICO has just finished so you can bag some cheap FTT now from any early dumpers: https://www.farmatrust.com/

Blockchain technology has been deployed in various fields like chain supplies etc and the outcome or the end result was outstanding invariably introducing this technology to Africa and channelling it to medicine will fast track supplies to the remotes and rural areas thus reducing high mortality rates in those areas.

I think this may have some good result to make transactions faster in giving health care to the african people. Money is always a consideration when buying products and when payment systems will use blockchain or cryptocurrency I think it will be a lot easier for them. How about making it experimental so that when it will have good results certainly it will be then made possible to most parts of africa needing healthcare.

This is also considered for this country. Due to the fact that there are limits to the application of modern digital technology. There are certain conditions, such as internet and technology products. In order to serve the investors here, it is necessary to add these things.

It would really help a great deal in the healthcare. We all know how data collection, analysis and record have been over the years and with the help of blockchain technology, it is not all about advancing alone, but the fact that it is going to bring about efficiency when it comes to cost as well as auditing, which I believe would make a huge difference in the long run and not only in Africa but all over the world.

Though, it may take some time to see this kind of adoption in every under developed countries in other continents.

I also heard that , but i think health care is still a big problem in Africa, so once health care is up to date then they can think about integrating blockchain

Blockchain technology has immense potential to better the provision of goods and services, understandably one of those areas is the health sector in Africa (and elsewhere). However, if you asked me, l'd prefer we prioritize the application of blockchain technology to the electoral process in Africa. 9 in 10 presidential election results are contested on basis of voting irregularities and fraud. If they leaders of African countries reflected the will of the people, the Continent would be in a much better place. Medicine, livelihoods and education would be assured.

just an opinion

definitely with the development of blockchain technology, blockchain will help everything including in the health field. because as new technologies emerge, blockchain will certainly continue to innovate and tangible and helpful new steps.

hacking..
remember. the database is not stored in one location. its in multiple clinics/ hositals in multiple regions. so no one can (excuse the pun) doctor the records.
as for how the records get into a block. imagine a blood test result is not simply added as a tx signed by 1 doctor. but instead relayed out and requires upto 5 doctors/signatures... great.. automatic 'second/third opinion' EG lab tech in region A. blood/haemotologist specialist in region B and then the patients family physician(GP) which increases accuracy of diagnoses due to second/third opinions.

whereby that data is not stored in clear text but encrypted using the keys of upto 5 people
lab tech,
blood specialist.
patients physician
patient
patients closest hospital

now a hacker would need to have both/atleast 2 keys to unencrypt the data.
also the "computer" (node) does not need to be a standard PC but a secured device in a lockbox (aeroplane black box idea(extra strong lockbox for a raspbery Pi)) that is tamper proof unless you physically got hold of it and broke it open to then .. as i said still need the 2 of 5 private keys just to viw that data of that specific result..


i think you have been reading too many fox news reports. things have moved on since the emotional OXFAM videos of the 1980's where you see crying babies starving, where oxfam never actually bothered to answer the question.. if it takes12 hours to walk to clean water, why do thy not just camp at the clean water.(have a deep thought about that question)
if you had to walk 6 hours to work.. 6 hours from work.. you would end up selling your home(more specifically pack up your tent) and move camp next to your work, right?

what is not shown is a high majority of these oxfam appeals, if the camera's just turned 180 degree's would see that these shanty towns border large cities where people are forced out of the city due to high rents. and usually waiting hours in a queue for the water truck..
instead they video people using local rivers(making it seem only the rivers are available and those rivers are dozens of miles away, to play on our heart strings)
aftr all would you donate if the camera panned around and seed a skyscaper just 1 mile away. nope. so oxfam set a scene that wells are needed so that oxfam can make money making the wells and save money by not needing to daily deliver watr trucks to the homeless on the outskirts of cities
remember the 1980's tear jerking charity drives for ethiopia.. then check out this image
https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/addislandscape.jpg


also the shanty towns further into the deserts/jungles (where you see the guys with guns) are usualy villages set up temporarily for gold mining and or nature preserves where the blockades you see are the land owners making sure their land is protected from uninvited miners/animal poachers.
they chose to be there.
after all.. is sandy desert or tree's something worth shooting ovr. nope.. but valuable land suh as gold plots. and endangrd animals ned to be protected. they dont have guns and live in the wild for no reason.

these people do have access to vehicles and guns so a cell phone to receive a text about if they are diabetic.. is not much of a stretch
(might be worth you researching M-pesa as their cross border/local electronic payment system)

as for the area's that are "tribal" and not evolved. have made the conscious choice to avoid evolving. (like some Amish/indian comunities) they infact even avoid modern healthcare and still believe in only using their shamen healers.. to which i say. allow them to heal themselves in they ways they believe

That's a great explanation.  I'm no blockchain expert, as everyone here knows, but when I hear stuff like "blockchain and medicine" it makes me think of ICO claims that can't be fulfilled.  The medical records aspect of medicine does indeed sound like it could lend itself to a blockchain solution.  Makes me wonder about patient confidentiality and hacking, but again I'm just having those thoughts as a non-expert in crypto.  Edit:  I'm not talking about hacking as though bitcoin could be hacked; I'm talking about people with the information getting their computers hacked, just like bitcoin owners have.

I would love for there to be some sort of revolution in Africa.  A large part of the continent has been living in the tribal ages and doesn't seem to have evolved much.  Sure they have cell phones, but they also have dirt roads and kill people in the streets with impunity--kind of like some countries in South America.  Most of that has to do with government, but those countries need to move forward.  I don't know of there's a blockchain solution, or even if it could help at all, but it'd be nice.

The thing is that blockchain technology is really going to be helping in a whole lot of way in the health sector.
Yeah, this topic is a bit directed to African countries, but not just in Africa but all over the world in some perspective as per my knowledge.

When it comes to health deterioration based on how the sectors are fashioned out, less healthcare for the poor, siphoning of funds, distribution of fake drugs, no data. No audit and everything is just messed up, we can say indeed Africa will be benefiting a whole lot as most of these things can easily be curbed with blockchain technology.

Theres no impossible in regards tp this matter,because cryptocurrency ate extending the projects worldwide i guess what we only need is an african people that wil organize or create some projects in regards this so lets wait this will come to your part just have Patience

I would not say it is not widely adopted in Africa yet, since I have seen some of the developing countries in Africa looking at how the application of blockchain technology can benefit the country in a huge deal.

Nevertheless, just like anywhere else in the world, we all know this is new and it would take some time to start adopting, building on the open source protocol to see how things can be like but at the same time, with something like this implemented everywhere and most especially in developed and underdeveloped countries, it will strongly help.

For blockchain to work in africa, and talking about the dirt poor indigenous tribes in africa not the rich glamorous south Africa, we will need a heck of alot of infrastructures installed in Africa herself. Block chain eill not work without internet, or much less a cellular signal. We can use block chain as a holding measure then give itnto Africa as a dole out nutbthat is not self sufficient.

Obviously, we would not expect things to just kick in like that and just like we can see all over the world and not just in Africa.

Yes, there would be some countries that will be quick to adjust and start making use of the real life cases of blockchain technology which is understandable due to the available infrastructures which could help with the assistance of the government which we know is lacking in most part of Africa, but that does not mean a lot is not being done in some developing nations in Africa. Rome was not built in a day, so we obviously cannot expect blockchain to just cause an evolution in a day.

as long as the africa government keeps up with technology, i think blockchain will fill the development of medicine house in that country. i think the role of government is very dominant in this regard

There is a really high possibility and it is not impossible to make. The problem lies on who will be the one to fund such healthcare. The government of Africa is already out of the option. It is possible that it would be a third party country or a very rich individual or an international organization.

Maybe within the developed countries apart of Africa, as it is a continent with many countries within. I myself am not aware, but I'm sure their are ways to bring blockchain into the infrastructure of a country. There are a lot of areas within Africa where the Blockchain may not reach any time soon, at least until development starts thriving in those parts.
   

Blockchain technology would be a big help to prevent counterfeit drugs being sold in the black market. But then we should take into account first the most basic problem in Africa which would be lack of needs like clean water and technology too. They would have a hard time using blockchain technology if they would not have a stable connection to have the transactions. Regarding the medicine, some private companies take advantage of the opportunity to deliver counterfeit drugs because more often than not, it cannot be detected but through blockchain technology, there would be transparency and the transactions can be traced.

This is the article related to the situation of the medicinal sector in Africa. http://allafrica.com/stories/201711160493.html

As I quote:


 

i've been considering this for a while, i do feel that medicine in africa is too archaic to be using blockchain technology. the patients are mostly illiterates. How do you explain the blockchain technology to a man who wouldnt wanna use internet or mobile bank? how would you use blockchain when light (power) and internet are still major problems?

It is currently changing a world in terms of a new knowledge that the crypto technologies provide. Crypto currently serves only for the mean for the profit. A longer time must pass for it to be realized completely into the imagined goals. Africa's government needs to adopt crypto as such but with the current situation that is present there, it is hardly possible right now. I do believe that this technology will change the world but that is far from the happening yet.

Yes I agree that blockchain technology will change the world if only all governments, countries and institutions will be adopting it and not criticize it's ability to help the world a better place. Regarding healthcare issue in Africa I think blockchain can do something good for the people not only for those who are sitting with riches  but also for all levels of social status as it was a decentralized system.

The application of blockchain to medicine is helpful in Africa. Procurement of personnel and other medical equipment is needed by the people of Africa. We will know how the blockchain technology will be developed. I hope this will continue, not just in Africa but other poor countries

The blockchain technology in Africa can provide many good results because of its high transparency, as there are many cases of scam occur in that continent, especially drug/Medicine scams.
Many organizations carry the charity name to get the drugs they sell on the black market or terrorist organizations.
If it is possible to use the blockchain technology, the harmful use of that industry will be dull and will return positive results.
The same thing is due to governments, the crisis is a crisis of trust and can be solved.

I dont know why you just mentioning the Africa here but blockchain technologies use in the healthcare can be seen over global level too. As the data generated with patient history is very much helpful for the scientist to study the relevance field more closely.
There are many on going ICO's, and worked out protocols like VoxelX, Trippki etc who are continuously helping the creation of data centre.
I guess such organisations will help reduce the efforts of doctors and also minimise the error! These will be big in the near future as compared to what they are today.

Blockchain mainly used as a ledger for patients medical records and if it can be truly integrated then it makes hospital working faster when finding emergency patient database and helping logistic supplies not only in Africa but also other third world countries. However implementing such technology in these countries isn't as easy as it looks since corruption overflowing and not so open-minded people and government are trying to prevent something new as they risk to expose their past failure 

This can only be possible if the government allows it and mind you blockchain generally is a threat to the government. But then we never can tell what the future holds, we might just wake up one morning and hear that even banks are into blockchain, impossible is nothing when it comes to blockchain.

Recently saw something like this too...but they are still in the trial phase. Hope it works

Blockchain technology is usefull for any purpose and make cost more eficient. If government in africa want to improve their health quality, I am believe blockchain technology will very helpfull. I think its depend on government will 

Many other countries that blockchain is widely spreading is not through their government, majority of blockchain based project are being executed by individual. The citizens of the African countries need to stand up and take the bull by the horn.

right, it's possible. A blockchain technology is the first technology to have what it is today. This is not the first African country in the world though its people are from the first one in the africa world. It will not be far from africa and become a blockchain experience especially in accordance with their assistance from different countries.

I believe blockchain will change the world in a positive way. Haters are always criticize this but i think in near future it will become no1 site for invest.      

I find it quite distant, when people have a correct view of the market and the government has the right steps for the crypto market, then we can hope for things like you say.

Blockhain has an important roles in prevent drug abuse. The blockchain is a decentralised digital ledger that records and transfers data in a fast, secure, and transparent manner. When applied in the pharmaceutical supply chain, the blockchain tracks the drugs at each stage from the pharmaceutical company to the patient. The IBM research solution involves a permissioned blockchain and a mobile interface. Every party on the network is certified and authorised to initiate an action and complete, track, and verify their transactions. Here is a breakdown of the different functions that the blockchain offers: the blockchain comprises of a trusted network of pharmaceutical companies, delivery carriers, chemists, hospitals, and clinics. For example, the pharmaceutical companies on the blockchain are trustworthy and offer authentic drugs. Therefore, any person ordering drugs on the blockchain-based network is assured of getting industry-approved products.

When we talk about blockchain, only three things are necessary. The network of devices, sufficient internet connectivity and operators. Blockchain could definitely help to optimise the traditional process of data recording and since it has a better set of advantages at a comparatively lower cost, it could be helpful in any part of the world irrespective of the economic condition of the country.

yes of course bitcoin and blockchain also the medicine that have the technology will touch the African state soon, after the technology and transportation system are upgraded i think it will very easy to make sure that technology and medicine in African. so the best things we should do is wait, wait until the technology increased and upgraded

The technology if allowed and fully embraced would meet every aspects of human life. It can accommodate anything as long as the human mind can think of it. Blockchain Technology is the way to solving human needs.

Yes it is possible. The blockchain technology is the most advanced technology there is today. Africa may not be in the first world but ablot of people from the first world are helping out africa. It will not be long til africa experience blockchain especially in tracking help from different countries.

I think that poor people in Africa are not ready to accept the blockchain system, they need more real help. living of malawi is very bad, their income in a day is only $ 1. and that's not enough to make ends meet.

in malawi also has a disasters and HIV, and to deal with the problem, I think they need real help. because they do not understand technology.

so, for now, I think that blockchain will not help them.

Africa will need a lot of investment into infrastructure and proper functional governments (that are able to preserve law and order) before seeing blockchain adoption.

This is again a very good topic of discussion but just like every other good topic in this board, this got buried too
It has been discussed over several occasions how blockchain charity/donation system can be used to solve the medicine crises in Africa. Turns out, money is not really the problem, accessibility is. A whole of communities in Africa live with their cultural beliefs and for them nature should have the cure for everything. Doctors aren't involved unless the plaque has taken several lives. In short, problem also lies in the way of thinking. Blockchain is certain to provide financial help to bring medicinal access to everybody but they're not ready to give up on their cultural ways just yet. 

Most of such projects end up paying more money to the military and corrupt politicians before they make their way in African villages.

It's not the blockchain evolution that is what they're fighting against, it's its application in cryptocurrencies as a means of exchange. There are many projects that are going on in the background.

Blokcchain technology application to medicine and healthcare in Africa is in progress. I came across  a project that used blockchain applications to verify the authenticity of a drugs by scanning a barcode. I think in the future we will see more advance applications which will be beneficial to the poor.

How blockchain technology can be applied to medicine in Africa?I really can't understand

I saw some medicine project but now don't have any project in Africa 

Of course, it is conceivable. In any case, I think the administration of African nations needs to receive the Blockchain innovation for it to be reached out to the needy individuals in Africa. I trust Blockchain will change the world. Actually blockchain has the capability now the rest depends on the African government.

I totally agree with your thought on this!

Blockchain application to medicine is essential not only in Africa but the whole world. Verifying authenticity of drugs,research into new discovery and data can be employed on the block chain for efficiency

Yes, there are actually quite a few blockchain businesses set up already, lots of fiance related like paying bills but from memory none of them was related to healthcare. But it will come with time

I strongly agree with your thoughts on this. Africa needs to win her fight against corruption to enable the idea of blockchain have it's full use. The blockchain technology promises transparency in it's use. This will limit the corrupt practices in all spheres of administration. The African leaders know this truth and they are not ready to give up their greed. I hope they speedily adopt it's use as the rest of the world are doing. Blockchain is the way!

Great idea, I really like it. I think it will be interesting for a lot of people who want to profit 3 times. Great, good fellows!

The problems with medicine in poor countries is the sheer number of counterfeit drugs which cause even more damage than the illness. Take a look at "farmatrust" which solves this problem via blockchain technology. I think the ICO is still ongoing if you wish to invest and make a fast buck

https://postimg.cc/image/uunazhebv/

It will take a time for make blockchain to help Africa,Because Governments & it's politicians always push back these types of advantages that can get good future for poor peoples. Hope world can give some support to these poor peoples & blockchain can make good future for all.

Yes, I completely agree with your opinion on this project. African government needs to adopt blockchain technology to make the country more digital. With the help of block chain technology the country will take revolution in African medical sector. As well they can easily provide all the medicines to everyone as per their needs after adopting the blockchain technology.

I think Africa started to develop some blockchain already. It not about healthcare but i think the time will come and it will help the needy in Africa

Blockchain technology is not widely adopted in Africa so its application in medicine will take some time

securing the data, yes
EG makes it harder for trump to fake his medical records after slurring his voice because the data is locked once a diagnoses is made.
it also ensures that although patients dont need to be part of validating every other patients record. each hospital/clinic validates each others hospital/clinic records and has access to the data without a single central server. thus reducing costs of IT security, server maintenance, backups etc

EG
imagine there were 65536 different medical conditions the data on a ledger does not need to list all 65536 per patient with a value. but just the conditions a patient has and the result.

the data needed:
an ID of a condition can be stored as just(at very minimum) 2 bytes (256*256=65536)
so diabetes could be in hex(4hex=2byte)  D1ABE7E5
and the value, could be the numberic value of their glucose level which would take 1byte(diabetic range of 0 to 256)
so patients "conditions" could be logged and locked using just 3 bytes of data.

the only lengthy part is their patient ID which can be locked to a separate ledger using just 4bytes per country (256*256*256*256=4,294,967,296 patients)  or 5byte for a international network (1,099,511,627,776 patients)
so as people are diagnosed it could log patient and medical condition using under 10 bytes per diagnoses

so imagine a 1billion population country, and each (exaggurating) patient having 10 diagnosed conditions (10bill records)
100billion bytes of data = 100mill kbyte = 100,000mbyte  =100gb
which is this


the separate ledger of patient/doctor identity can be shrunk down to being a 5 byte(10hex) ID pegged to a public key thus stored as 40bytes(i rounded)
again a country of 1 billion people
40bill bytes of ID data=40mill kbyte= 40,000mbyte = 40gb
thus only needing a 64mb microsd card to hold all the ID data of that country

so each 'node' in each clinic/hosiptal does not need servers or extremely large hard drives.

just remember. the entire population of records and ID's and repeat tests do not need to belong on one ledger all with individual signatures.
EG bitcoin actually has 2 ledgers. 1x the blockchain 1x UTXO set
so although the blockchain has all the data, the UTXO has no signatures and does not hold the 'used'(spent) data.
so when designing the medical network do not think the ultimate medical chain has to be every patient with their full public key and every medical test and signature. (still neding less than 1tb of storage if you went to extremes)
you could have 3-4 chains/ledgers that different nodes validate. and then the majority of nodes only house and validate/view the latest/active data(utxo)

in short
storing and auditing records only needs nodes of upto in 128mb microsd cards which is cost efficient

Of cos it possible.  But I think the government of African countries need to adopt the Blockchain technology for it to be extended to the poor people in Africa. I believe Blockchain will change the world.

Don' worry mate, Blockchain technologies will help the world to be a better place.

The world has since been stirred up by the wind of blockchain possibilities seen in fintech; records and data analysis and also recently in politics. But can we see thesame possibilities in healthcare for the poor in Africa?