Simprints to provide biometric tech and expertise to Bangladesh government for newborn healthcare

Simprints and the ICT Division of the Government of Bangladesh have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), under which the company will support the “Digital Bangladesh” initiative by deploying its technology to perform biometric verification of up to a million expectant mothers and newborn children for medical care.

The deal was reached through Simprints partnership with Bangladesh-based NGO BRAC.

Traditional biometric technologies fail more often in low-income countries, where the conditions of people’s lives make them more likely to have scared or worn fingerprints. Simprints technology, designed with developing-world contexts in mind, has been found 228 percent more accurate in such conditions, according to the announcement. The technology also integrates with existing mobile tools used by partners to verify the intended beneficiaries of services.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Bangladeshi government to support their ‘Digital Bangladesh’ agenda. This MoU demonstrates that national governments are beginning to recognise the role that technology like ours can have in making sure that every vaccine, every dollar, and every public good reaches the people who need them most and, ultimately, help transform the way that the world fights poverty,” comments Simprints CEO Dr. Toby Norman.

The MoU focusses on collaboration, transfers of technical capacity, and thought leadership on key issues including data protection and privacy.

Simprints began its largest project to date with the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health last year, and the company already has a presence in Bangladesh working on maternal health. The company also joined vaccine alliance Gavi last year.

Bangladesh Minister of the ICT Division the Honourable Zunaid Ahmed Palak visited Simprints headquarters in Cambridge to work out the deal.

Simprints is planning for a big year, posting a new Chief Delivery Officer position in December to scale its operations.

Article Topics

Bangladesh  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  children  |  healthcare  |  Identification for Development (ID4D)  |  identity verification  |  SimPrints