Innovative Biometric Authentication for Health & Humanitarian Aid Response
Project HOPE and Global ID Announce Strategic Partnership
Washington, DC (16 May 2024) –The global health and humanitarian organization, Project HOPE, and the biometric data technology platform, Global ID, are partnering to introduce an innovative biometric authentication solution for managing participant data in health and emergency response interventions around the globe. Global ID’s groundbreaking technology leverages the unique patterns of finger veins to capture biometric data, ensuring unparalleled privacy protection and health records accuracy. Project HOPE will be the first organization to leverage this technology in global health settings.
“Project HOPE works with communities who are experiencing conflict, instability, displacement, and a lack of healthcare access – all of which make them deeply vulnerable to health and humanitarian concerns, while posing challenges for accurately identifying participants and keeping health records,” said Chris Skopec, Project HOPE’s Vice President of Global Health. “We are committed to protecting participants’ personal information while ensuring that our donor resources are leveraged for the greatest impact. This partnership – built on a foundation of ethical technology use and a firm commitment to privacy – helps us to ensure that resources reach the most vulnerable. It is the next step for us on our journey to continuously improve the way we deliver health and humanitarian interventions.”
Global ID’s technology’s captures biometric data using a small hand-held device that takes a multi-view image of the finger veins. The finger scans are converted into mathematical representations used strictly for authentication, then the original images are destroyed, preventing the risk of secondary use and ensuring that the biometric data is not human-readable or interpretable. This authentication solution is consent-based, non-forensic, and designed for personal privacy. Unlike other biometric information such as fingerprints, facial features, or iris patterns, finger vein patterns remain the same over an individual’s lifetime, offering a reliable method for biometric identification.
“This strategic partnership represents a significant leap forward in applying biometric technology to improve global beneficiary health and humanitarian aid response,” said Prof. Lambert Sonna, Global ID’s CEO. “We are excited about the potential of this technology to transform patient identification processes, ensuring more secure, accurate, and private healthcare interventions. Together, we are paving the way for a future where technology and healthcare work hand in hand to improve lives worldwide.”
This solution integrates seamlessly with existing healthcare processes and Management Information Systems. Biometric data, stored separately from personal identity information and linked via pseudonyms, is stored on secure servers or computers to maintain confidentiality and privacy. Its accuracy is exemplary, and it almost instantaneously accepts correct finger scans, leading to a negligible False Rejection Rate. Conversely, after a few attempts, the system reliably rejects incorrect fingers, ensuring a near-zero False Acceptance Rate. This level of precision underscores the technology’s potential to significantly enhance safety and accuracy in patient record management and emergency interventions.
Project HOPE will be introducing this technology in Namibia as part of the PEPFAR/USAID-funded Reach project, which is aimed at reducing HIV infections among Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). The initial deployment of the technology will improve quality of care and services for the project’s participants and reduce the burden on community health workers.
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For media inquiries, contact media@projecthope.org.
About Project HOPE
Founded in 1958, Project HOPE is a leading global health and humanitarian organization operating in over 25 countries. We work side-by-side with local health systems to save lives and improve health. Our mission is at the epicenter of today’s greatest health challenges, including infectious and chronic diseases, disasters and health crises, maternal, neonatal and child health and the policies that impact how health care is delivered. For more information on Project HOPE and its work around the world, visit www.ProjectHOPE.org and follow us on Twitter @ProjectHOPEorg.
About Global ID
Founded in 2016 by Dr. Lambert Sonna and based in Lausanne on the EPFL Innovation Park, Global ID specializes in biometric authentication via multiple views of finger vein patterns. We work with organizations requiring biometric authentication to ensure certainty of identity, such as in the fields of healthcare and sovereign security. Our research brought together leading Swiss institutions, IDIAP for biomedical imaging and biometrics, EPFL/LASEC for IT security and cryptography, and HES-SO Valais-Wallis for prototyping. For more information on Global ID and our support and commitment to Sustainable Development Goals, visit www.globalid.swiss and follow us on LinkedIn.
