Using Biometric Technology to Fight COVID-19
Through the generous support of FCDO, COVIDaction and Simprints teamed up to provide guidance on Using Biometric Technology to fight COVID-19. (url: https://bit.ly/3rB4tvV)
An interactive Webinar to walk through this paper and discuss the guidance was held on February 23rd, 2022.
About the White Paper
Biometrics are a way to identify who you are or verify that you who you say you are, through measurements of biological characteristics. These characteristics can be physiological (e.g., fingerprints or iris) or behavioural (e.g., voice or gait). There are many different biometric methods depending on what is measured: fingerprints, face, iris, retina, palm, palm veins, voice, signature, gait, etc.
The White Paper includes the following information:
- A short summary of biometrics (definitions, types, and usage)
- Review of how biometrics can be and are used for COVID-19
- Review of potential benefits for biometrics for COVID-19
- Review of pre-conditions and possible risks to manage
- Final guidance on how to use biometrics responsibly for COVID-19
- Proposed metrics around a biometric intervention
Some excerpts from the full report are given below to help programme designers learn more about the potential of biometrics across intervention delivery and the necessary considerations to ensure biometric technology is deployed responsibly.
Should I deploy biometrics in my programme?
Biometrics has huge potential to address the issue of unique ID, but not all forms of biometric technology will be appropriate within every context. Using biometrics in low-resource frontline environments is extremely challenging due to both physiological factors like scarred or burned fingerprints, and environmental factors like heat or humidity. Questions must also be raised around cultural appropriateness, infrastructure feasibility, and data security.
The following is an excerpted table from the White Paper outlining common strengths and weaknesses of biometrics as an identification tool.
Three Ways to use Biometrics for COVID-19
The white paper reviews three example use cases for how to use biometrics for COVID-19: Vaccinations, clinical trials, and emergency aid distribution.
COVID-19 vaccination
Common Problems
Verifying delivery of COVID-19 vaccines
- Patient tracking for course completion
How biometrics can help
- Tying biometrics to immunisation records
- Continuity of care
- Reduction of potential fraud by increased accountability
Clinical Trials
Problems
- Cross-contamination between test & control groups
- Duplicate enrolments
- Increased Lost to Follow-up (LTFU) rates, especially for multi-year trials
How biometrics can help
- Eliminating cross-contamination
- Unique ID ensuring data integrity
- Minimising Lost to Follow-up (LTFU) rates
- Encouraging sign-ups from those who do not wish to provide their real name due to risk of stigma
Emergency Aid Distribution
Problems
- Risk of fraud via duplicate registrations
- Accusations of fraud or waste due to lack of valid data
How biometrics can help:
- Unique registration of participants in the programme
- Unique identification and verification of participants during disbursements
- Programme progress tracking
Biometrics Benefit Risk Assessment
Biometrics are very powerful tools for identification and case management. However, they are also by default considered highly sensitive information for many reasons listed above. There are both benefits and risks to biometrics that need to be considered when deciding on using a biometric technology for a specific intervention. The following tables included below outline a few of the benefits and risks of biometrics, broken out by different groups, including the patient, health worker and programme staff.
The white paper includes additional benefits and risks that can be tailored to individual programmes and contexts. The asterisk (*) next to Patient notes that there may be additional risks when using biometrics with children. Please see UNICEF’S report into biometrics for more detail.
Using the Guidance
The goal of the white paper is to allow programme designers, implementers and other stakeholders tools to better design and implement biometric programmes, including the decision to limit or replace biometrics with other identification methods when appropriate.
The team welcomes feedback and engagement on this White Paper via Twitter (@covidactiontech) or at our interactive webinar on February 23rd, 2022 at 8am EST/ 1pm GMT/ 2PM Geneva time. To sign up, please complete this form https://forms.gle/4bxNinhnFqgVbDxJ6
About the FCDO COVIDaction Data Challenge
The Data Challenge is part of the FCDO Frontier Technology Hub COVIDaction programme. COVIDaction works across five themes: Data, Local Production & Local Solutions, Resilient Health Systems, and Oxygen CoLab.
Acknowledgements
This paper was co-authored by Sarah Grieves, Simprints, and Siobhan Green, IMC Worldwide, with substantial support from Jessica Studer and Kelly Church (IMC Worldwide) and was made possible through a grant from FCDO COVIDAction Data Challenge. The team also offers thanks to many reviewers and editors across the development and humanitarian response community.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this report are those of the authors. This material has been funded by UK aid from the UK government as a part of the Ideas to Impact Programme; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies, nor those of any of the individuals and organisations referred to in the report.
