Measuring Progress towards Universal
Health Coverage

forbes.com (08.05.2017) Blockchain technology is making headlines everywhere. If you have recently attended any tech events it is highly likely that you came out of them having heard just that bit more about it. Everybody is talking about blockchain--from the President of the United States to the Nigerian government.

It’s no secret that America has a complicated relationship with healthcare. And with all the uncertainty of 2017 looming large over 2018, it can feel like a subject you just want to avoid reading about altogether.

But one startup is out to change all that. SimplyVital Health is using blockchain technology to give the healthcare industry a facelift.

The company has developed two products, both of which address different aspects and targets within the industry: ConnectingCare and Health Nexus.

There’s a need for better access to medical technology in the region—a forward-looking approach will help companies reach more patients.

indiatoday (19.02.2018) Adoption of digital technology for better governance has always been central to the Indian governments policy and the country is committed to carrying out reforms in health sector by using it, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said today. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has great potential in improving delivery of healthcare services, he said and stressed on building digital health ecosystem in partnership with private healthcare providers, academia, industry, patient groups and regulatory bodies.

ILO (14.02.2018) When migrant workers leave their home, many encounter abuse and violence on their journey and discrimination once they arrive. This can be because of their status as migrants but also because of their ethnicity, sex, religion, and HIV status. They often struggle to find decent work, which means they can end up in poor living and working conditions, which in turn affects their health. Female migrants are more likely to be vulnerable to exploitation and violence, which exposes them to the risk of HIV and other health issues.

Business Insider (14.02.2018) The Legatum Institute, a London-based research institute, released its 11th annual global Prosperity Index in November, a huge survey that ranks the most prosperous countries in the world.

ILO (2015) Due to the global demographic ageing, all countries are challenged by growing long-term care (LTC) needs for older persons. However, these needs are largely ignored and range very low on the policy agendas of most countries.

gemalto.com (21.06.2017) In less than a year after the Estonian eHealth Foundation announced that it planned to use blockchain technology to secure the public health records of Estonia's 1.3 million citizens, a ground-breaking system was up and running. The system facilitates improved access to vital information for health professionals, while simultaneously guaranteeing patient confidentiality and the integrity of their files. It's a holy grail of healthcare.

We live in a digital world, yet the majority of medical records such as blood test reports or x-rays are stored on paper. Moreover, most hospitals don’t share access to medical records, which is time consuming for doctors when prescribing treatments and inconvenient for patients. Having medical records on the blockchain can have a positive effect on disease management, disease prevention, and minimize unnecessary healthcare expenses. Digital health records will also open up the possibility for cross-border sharing of medical data if a patient is on holidays and requires treatment abroad.