BioRugged applies biometrics and data to streamline healthcare in rural Mozambique

BioRugged is supporting the transition from paper-based systems to a biometric-based electronic patient registration and verification system for a Portuguese non-profit organization that promotes development projects in Africa.

The South African biometrics company will play a part in the migration of data for APOIAR, a development group that specializes in nutrition, health and education projects in Africa with its MAYI Project – Academy of Maternal and Child Nutrition. The project aims to improve the nutrition and health of pregnant women, mothers and their infants up to 2 years of age in rural Mozambique.

“We need more case studies and practical applications where biometrics makes a direct positive change in people lives,” states Hof Retief, the COO of BioRugged.

BioRugged donated its Ruggbo and BioWolf devices that are equipped with Neametrics’ state-of-the-art BIOID. BioRugged will also provide training and implementation, it says. Once complete, the MAYI Academies will be able to securely enroll mothers and visitors, store data in accordance with legal regulations, and quickly verify mothers for repeat visits, a statement says.

The biometric system will reduce daily administrative burden, which enables APOIAR to focus on the needs of the patients, the statement adds. It also allows APOIAR to optimize distribution of aid, assistance, and resources by analyzing population statistics drawn from training sessions, topics and number of attendees.

Helena Ribeiro Telles, CEO of APOIAR, comments, “This is a big step for APOIAR directing our projects towards digitalization and making APOIAR more efficient.”

BioRugged’s participation with APOIAR follows the donation of thermal guns to detect for signs of fever to a South African primary school, and the integration of its Marque 5.1 multimodal compact civil registration kit with Suprema ID’s FAP60 fingerprint biometric scanner. The company’s CEO Arnd Langguth told Biometric Update in a December 2020 interview that “Africa is setting the bar for what can be done with biometrics.”

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometrics  |  BioRugged  |  healthcare  |  humanitarian  |  identity verification  |  Mozambique  |  Neametrics  |  patient identification